History of Lamar Jackson in Timeline
Lamar Jackson is a highly accomplished NFL quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. A Heisman Trophy winner from Louisville, he was drafted in the first round in 2018. Jackson has twice been named NFL MVP and holds the record for all-time quarterback rushing yards. He is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks of his era and is often hailed as the greatest dual-threat quarterback in football history.
1989: Joe Montana with 15+ Completions, 3+ Passing Touchdowns, 1+ Rushing Touchdowns, and Perfect Passer Rating
In 1989, Joe Montana achieved 15-plus completions, 3-plus passing touchdowns, 1-plus rushing touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating in a single game.
January 7, 1997: Lamar Jackson Jr. Born
On January 7, 1997, Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. was born. He would later become a professional football quarterback.
2005: Death of Father and Grandmother
In 2005, Lamar Jackson's father died from a heart attack on the same day that his grandmother died; Lamar was eight years old at the time.
2010: Tom Brady Unanimous MVP
Tom Brady was the second player, in 2010, to be voted unanimously as the MVP.
2012: Ravens Last AFC Championship Game
The Baltimore Ravens last participated in the AFC Championship Game in 2012, prior to Lamar Jackson leading them to another appearance in 2023.
2012: Ravens first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2012
The Divisional Round win against the Houston Texans clinched the Baltimore Ravens' first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2012.
2014: Last High School Game and Award
In 2014, Lamar Jackson played his last high school game against Miami Central High School and was named the Lou Groza Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year.
2015: Freshman Year at Louisville
In 2015, Lamar Jackson played as a freshman at Louisville, starting eight games and being named MVP of the Music City Bowl.
December 10, 2016: 2016 Heisman Trophy Winner
On December 10, 2016, Lamar Jackson was awarded the 2016 Heisman Trophy, becoming the youngest-ever recipient.
2016: University of Louisville Play of the Year
In 2016, Lamar Jackson won a Louie for Play of the Year at the University of Louisville for a leap he made in the Syracuse game.
2016: Heisman Trophy Winner
In 2016, Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy while playing college football for the Louisville Cardinals.
2017: 40 Yard Dash Time at Louisville
In 2017, Lamar Jackson reportedly clocked in a 4.34 40 yard dash time at Louisville.
2017: Heisman Finalist
In 2017, Lamar Jackson was a Heisman finalist, finishing third in the voting.
2017: ACC Athlete of the Year
In 2017, Lamar Jackson was named the men's ACC Athlete of the Year.
2017: University of Louisville Awards
In 2017, Lamar Jackson won a Louie for Adidas High Performance Male Athlete of the Year at the University of Louisville.
January 5, 2018: NFL Draft Announcement
On January 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson announced that he would enter the 2018 NFL draft.
June 5, 2018: Signed Rookie Contract with Ravens
On June 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson signed his rookie contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
2018: Ravens Offensive Strategy Changes
After the 2018 season, the Ravens' coaching staff decided to change the offensive strategy and playbook to center around Lamar Jackson's specific skills.
2018: Jackson launched Era 8 Apparel
In 2018, Lamar Jackson announced the launch of his sportswear line, Era 8 Apparel.
2018: Ravens Starting Quarterback
In 2018, Lamar Jackson became the Ravens' starting quarterback, leading them to a 6-1 record in games he started and an AFC North title.
2018: Drafted by Baltimore Ravens
In 2018, Lamar Jackson was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the NFL draft.
2019: Jackson lived in Owings Mills, Maryland
As of 2019, Lamar Jackson lived in Owings Mills, Maryland, with his mother and siblings.
2019: AFC North championship
In 2019 the Ravens clinched the AFC North championship
2019: Jackson appeared on Celebrity Family Feud
In 2019, Lamar Jackson appeared on ABC's Celebrity Family Feud.
2019: Single-Season Rushing Record
In 2019, Lamar Jackson broke the single-season rushing record for a quarterback, surpassing Michael Vick's record, and led all quarterbacks with 36 touchdown passes.
2019: Perfect Passer Rating and AFC Offensive Player of the Week
In 2019, Lamar Jackson had a game with a perfect passer rating and earned his third AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.
2019: Pope Francis gifted signed Lamar Jackson Ravens jersey
In 2019, Pope Francis was gifted a signed Lamar Jackson Ravens jersey.
2019: Ravens broke single-season rushing record
In 2019, the Ravens broke the single-season rushing record, with Lamar Jackson breaking Michael Vick's record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season.
2019: Unanimous MVP
Lamar Jackson was voted the unanimous MVP of the 2019 season.
February 2020: BET Digital highlighted Jackson as vanguard in African American culture
In February 2020, BET Digital highlighted Lamar Jackson as one of 40 of the most inspiring and innovative vanguards in African American culture.
March 2020: Jackson filed lawsuit against Amazon
In March 2020, Lamar Jackson filed a federal lawsuit against Amazon for unauthorized use of his name and image.
August 2020: Jackson signed endorsement deal with Oakley, Inc.
In August 2020, Lamar Jackson signed an endorsement deal with Oakley, Inc.
November 26, 2020: Tests Positive for COVID-19
On November 26, 2020, Lamar Jackson tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
2020: First QB with Multiple 1,000-Yard Rushing Seasons
In 2020, Lamar Jackson became the first quarterback to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons and led the Ravens to their third straight playoff appearance.
April 30, 2021: Fifth-Year Option Exercised
On April 30, 2021, the Ravens exercised the fifth-year option on Lamar Jackson's contract.
2021: Dak Prescott biggest signing bonus record
In 2021, Dak Prescott set the record for the biggest signing bonus in NFL history, which Lamar Jackson later surpassed.
May 2022: Jackson entered the restaurant business
In May 2022, Lamar Jackson entered the restaurant business with the purchase of a soul food restaurant in Florida, to be renamed Play Action Soulfood and More.
September 2022: Jackson was cover star of NFL's first virtual reality (VR) game
In September 2022, Lamar Jackson posted on his Twitter that he would be the cover star of NFL's first virtual reality (VR) game.
December 23, 2022: NFL Pro Era release
The NFL Pro Era game was released on December 23, 2022, on PlayStation VR and Meta Quest.
2022: Contract value for 2022 Season
In 2022, Lamar Jackson's contract was worth a guaranteed $23 million.
March 7, 2023: Ravens placed non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson
On March 7, 2023, the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson.
September 17, 2023: Jackson led Ravens to victory against Bengals
On September 17, 2023, Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to a 27-24 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 24 of 33 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 54 yards.
October 16, 2023: NFL Pro Era II release
On October 16, 2023, NFL Pro Era II was released with Jackson on the cover
2023: Second MVP Award and AFC Championship Game Appearance
In 2023, Lamar Jackson secured his second NFL MVP award and led the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012.
January 3, 2024: Ravens announced Jackson would be inactive
On January 3, 2024, the Ravens announced that Lamar Jackson would be inactive for the final game of the regular season.
2024: Jackson broke Vick's record for most rushing yards
In 2024, Lamar Jackson broke Michael Vick's record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a career.
2024: Career Highs and Rushing Leader
In 2024, Lamar Jackson set career highs in passing, became the all-time leader in quarterback rushing yards, and tied the record for most perfect passer rating games.
2024: Jackson completed pass batted in the air
In 2024, during the AFC Championship Game, Lamar Jackson completed a pass that was batted into the air and caught by himself for 14 yards. The play was named best play at the 2024 ESPY Awards.
