History of Lamar Jackson in Timeline

Lamar Jackson is a celebrated American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. He achieved early recognition at Louisville, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2016. Drafted by the Ravens in 2018, Jackson quickly established himself as a dominant force, securing two NFL MVP awards. He holds the record for all-time quarterback rushing yards and is widely considered the greatest dual-threat quarterback in football history.

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Full Timeline

1989: Historical Comparison

In 2019, Jackson joined Aaron Rodgers and Joe Montana (1989) as the only players in the Super Bowl era with 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 is now a professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL.

2005: Death of Father and Grandmother

In 2005, Lamar Jackson's father passed away from a heart attack on the same day his grandmother died. At the time, Lamar was eight years old.

2010: Historical Comparison

In 2019, Jackson was voted the MVP of the season, becoming the second player after Tom Brady in 2010 to be voted unanimously and the second-youngest player to win, behind only Jim Brown.

2012: AFC Championship Game

In 2023, Lamar Jackson took the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012.

2014: High School Career

In 2014, Lamar Jackson's last high school game was against Miami Central High School. He was also named the Lou Groza Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year in 2014.

2015: Freshman Year at Louisville

In 2015, Lamar Jackson played in 12 games as a freshman at Louisville. He was named the MVP of the 2015 Music City Bowl after passing for 227 yards with two touchdowns and rushing for a Music City Bowl-record 226 yards and two touchdowns.

December 10, 2016: Heisman Trophy Winner

On December 10, 2016, Lamar Jackson was selected as the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner, becoming Louisville's first Heisman Trophy winner and the youngest-ever recipient of the award.

2016: Heisman Trophy

In 2016, Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy while playing college football for the Louisville Cardinals.

2016: Play of the Year

In 2017, Lamar Jackson also won a Louie for Play of the Year at the University of Louisville, after the leap he made in the 2016 Syracuse game.

2017: ACC Athlete of the Year

Following the 2017-18 school year, Lamar Jackson was named the men's ACC Athlete of the Year for all conference sports, sharing honors with Arike Ogunbowale of Notre Dame basketball.

2017: University of Louisville Awards

In 2017, Lamar Jackson won a Louie for being named the Adidas High Performance Male Athlete of the Year for his outstanding sophomore campaign at the University of Louisville.

2017: Heisman Finalist

In 2017, despite high expectations and remarkable statistics, Lamar Jackson finished in third place in the Heisman voting.

2017: 40-Yard Dash Time

Lamar Jackson reportedly clocked in a 4.34 40 yard dash time in 2017 at Louisville.

January 5, 2018: Enters NFL Draft

On January 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson announced that he would enter the 2018 NFL draft, despite suggestions to switch positions.

June 5, 2018: Signs Rookie Contract

On June 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson signed his rookie contract with the Baltimore Ravens, reportedly worth $9.47 million with a $4.97 million signing bonus.

2018: Ravens went 6-1 in the last seven regular season games

During the seven regular season games in 2018 in which Jackson had started, the Ravens went 6–1 to close out the 2018 season. Overall, he finished the season with 1,201 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and three interceptions. Jackson also led all quarterbacks with 695 rushing yards and added five rushing touchdowns.

2018: NFL Draft

In 2018, Lamar Jackson was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the NFL draft.

2018: New Offensive Philosophy

Once the 2018 season ended, the Ravens' coaching staff decided to abandon the offensive strategy that had been designed for Joe Flacco and create a new offensive philosophy centered around the specific skills of Jackson.

2019: Season MVP

In 2019, Jackson was voted the MVP of the season, becoming the second player after Tom Brady in 2010 to be voted unanimously and the second-youngest player to win, behind only Jim Brown.

2019: Jackson Featured in Madden NFL and Celebrity Family Feud

In 2019, Lamar Jackson appeared on ABC's Celebrity Family Feud. During the 2019 NFL season, Jackson's Madden NFL character speed was upgraded to 96, making Jackson the fastest quarterback in that game's history. Jackson was the cover athlete in the Madden NFL 21 video game.

2019: Perfect Passer Rating

In 2019, Lamar Jackson became the second player in NFL history to produce two perfect passer ratings in the same season.

2019: Breaks Rushing Record

In 2019, Lamar Jackson broke Michael Vick's single-season rushing record for a quarterback and became the first quarterback since Michael Vick to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.

2019: Pope Francis gifted signed Jackson jersey

In 2019, Pope Francis was gifted a signed Lamar Jackson Ravens jersey.

February 2020: BET Digital Highlights Jackson

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 Files Lawsuit Against Amazon

In March 2020, Lamar Jackson filed a federal lawsuit against Amazon, alleging unauthorized use of his name, image, and persona.

August 2020: Jackson Signs Endorsement Deal with Oakley, Inc.

In August 2020, Lamar Jackson signed an endorsement deal with Oakley, Inc., a company that produces sunglasses, sports goggles and football helmet visors.

November 26, 2020: Tests Positive for COVID-19

On November 26, 2020, Jackson tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

December 2020: Jackson's Dreamers Foundation Distributes Gifts

In December 2020, Lamar Jackson and his Dreamers Foundation distributed gifts and toys to more than 150 families in the Baltimore area.

2020: Multiple 1,000-Yard Rushing Seasons

In 2020, Jackson became the first quarterback with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons and led the Ravens to a third straight playoff appearance.

2020: Pro Bowl MVP

In 2020, Jackson was the starting quarterback at the Pro Bowl and was named the offensive Most Valuable Player, becoming the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start a Pro Bowl game.

April 30, 2021: Ravens Exercised Fifth-Year Option

On April 30, 2021, the Ravens exercised the fifth-year option on Lamar Jackson's contract, guaranteeing him $23 million for the 2022 season.

May 2022: Jackson Enters Restaurant Business

In May 2022, Lamar Jackson entered the restaurant business with the purchase of a soul food restaurant in his home state of Florida. Tasty's Soul Food Sports Bar & Grill in Pompano Beach will change its name to Play Action Soulfood and More.

September 2022: Jackson to be Cover Star of NFL's First Virtual Reality Game

In September 2022, Lamar Jackson announced via Twitter that he would be the cover star of NFL's first virtual reality (VR) game.

December 23, 2022: Release of "NFL Pro Era" VR Game

On December 23, 2022, the virtual reality (VR) game "NFL Pro Era" was released on PlayStation VR and Meta Quest.

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 Leads Ravens to Victory Against Bengals

On September 17, 2023, Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to a 27-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 24 of 33 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 54 yards.

October 16, 2023: Release of NFL Pro Era II Game

On October 16, 2023, Lamar Jackson was on the cover of the sequel game, NFL Pro Era II.

2023: Second MVP Award

In 2023, Lamar Jackson secured a second MVP award and took the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012.

January 3, 2024: Jackson Ruled Inactive for Final Regular Season Game

On January 3, 2024, the Ravens announced that Lamar Jackson would be inactive for the final game of the regular season.

2024: Jackson passes Michael Vick NFL record

In 2024 Lamar Jackson passed Michael Vick's NFL record for career rushing yards by a quarterback on Christmas.

2024: Career Highs and All-Time 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 with four.

2024: Ravens Lost AFC Championship Game

In 2024, during the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson completed 20 of 37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown, rushed eight times for 54 yards, and had a pass batted into the air and caught by himself for 14 yards. He lost a fumble and threw an interception as the Ravens lost 17-10. This play was named best play at the 2024 ESPY Awards.

2024: Jackson Breaks Vick's Career Rushing Record

In 2024, his seventh season, Lamar Jackson broke Michael Vick's record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a career.

March 2025: Jackson Makes Cameo in Power Book III: Raising Kanan

In March 2025, Lamar Jackson made a cameo appearance as E-Tone in the Starz crime drama series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

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April 2025: Jackson's Dreamers Foundation Launches Scholars Program

In April 2025, Lamar Jackson's Dreamers Foundation launched the Forever Dreamers 8 Scholars program, providing apprenticeship opportunities in Maryland's thoroughbred racing industry for high school seniors.