Where did Lamar Jackson play college football? When was he drafted?

It’s not every day you see a quarterback win the MVP award in his second season, but that’s exactly what the Baltimore Ravens’ signal caller did. Join us for a look at where Lamar Jackson came from as we wait to see where he’s going to go.

Introducing Lamar Jackson

If we’re honest, Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today and by some distance. Born on January 7th, 1997, in Pompano Beach, Florida, Jackson had to overcome several off-field obstacles including economic instability during his youth and the less-than-safe environment in which he lived. Indeed, it didn’t help that he lost his father to a heart attack at the age of 8 years old. Conversely, what happened after was that he began to focus on football.

Needless to say, quite a bit has happened since those early and moreover tough days. Today, Jackson plays for the Baltimore Ravens and it would be fair to say that based on his efforts, the team has established itself as one to be reckoned with since his arrival back in 2018 when the Ravens selected him with the last pick - the 32nd to be precise - of the first round of the NFL Draft that year. It would take just one season for the NFL to understand that a star had arrived, as the 6′2″ playmaker made it clear that he was truly a dual-threat kind of quarterback. Between his exceptional athletic ability which saw him scramble for massive gains, and his uncanny knack for finding receivers in tight space, Jackson lit up the league in his second season - 2019 - which ultimately ended with a record in rushing attempts with 176 and rushing yards for a quarterback with 1,206. At that point, the MVP award was simply a formality.

What about Lamar Jackson in college

A native of Florida, Jackson actually took the decision to attend the University of Louisville, where he played football as a quarterback for the Cardinals football team from 2015 to 2017. In his freshman season, he put in a solid performance as he played in 12 games, 8 of which were starts. Across the campaign, he registered 1,840 yards while throwing 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Impressively, he added a further 960 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. At that point, it was a no-brainer to hand him the starting role, and so in his sophomore year that’s exactly what happened and he definitely delivered.

In both his sophomore and junior years he played all 13 games and truly became the dual-threat quarterback we know today. In the 2016 season, Jackson posted 3,543 passing yards to go along with 30 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Then, there was his contribution on the ground which amounted to 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns. Ridiculous. It should come as no surprise that he led the ACC in both of the latter categories (for quarterbacks). Yet, the cherry on top came when he was awarded the Heisman Trophy ahead of other future NFL players such as Deshaun Watson, Dede Westbrook, Jabrill Peppers, and Baker Mayfield. 2017 was basically the same as he resumed service, throwing for 3,660 yards with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while adding another 1,601 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. Again, ridiculous. If there was one slip, it’s that he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Baker Mayfield and Bryce Love. This is all to say, that when the Ravens go head-to-head this weekend with the Kansas City Chiefs, we’re going to get a look at a quarterback who could well be the best in the league but needs a ring to confirm it.