History of Lamar Jackson in Timeline

Lamar Jackson is a highly accomplished American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. Renowned for his exceptional dual-threat capabilities, he boasts remarkable passing and rushing skills. Jackson's college career at Louisville culminated in winning the Heisman Trophy in 2016. Drafted by the Ravens in 2018, he swiftly ascended to prominence, securing two NFL MVP awards. He also holds the record for the most quarterback rushing yards in NFL history. Widely considered one of the best quarterbacks of his generation, some analysts regard him among the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks ever.

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Full Timeline

1989: Players With 15+ Completions, 3+ Passing TDs, 1+ Rushing TDs, and a Perfect Passer Rating

In 2019 Lamar Jackson became the the third player 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 joining Aaron Rodgers (2019) and Joe Montana (1989).

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.

2005: Loss 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, Jackson was eight years old.

2006: Cardinals Ranking

In 2006, Lamar Jackson's game against Florida State, gave the Cardinals a #3 ranking, their highest since 2006.

2010: Second Player Voted Unanimously for MVP

In 2019, Lamar Jackson became the second player after Tom Brady in 2010 to be voted unanimously for MVP.

2012: AFC Championship Game

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

2014: High School Football Career

In 2014, Lamar Jackson played his last high school game against Miami Central High School in the Florida High School Football Playoff 6A tournament, where Boynton Beach was defeated. That year, Jackson was also named the Lou Groza Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year.

2015: Freshman Year at Louisville

In 2015, as a freshman at Louisville, Lamar Jackson played in 12 games, starting in 8. He was named MVP of the 2015 Music City Bowl after a strong performance.

December 10, 2016: Heisman Trophy Win

On December 10, 2016, Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy, becoming Louisville's first winner and the youngest recipient at 19 years old.

2016: Heisman Trophy Winner

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

2016: Play of the Year Louie Award

In 2017, Lamar Jackson won a Louie for Play of the Year 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.

2017: 40 Yard Dash Time at Louisville

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

2017: University of Louisville Awards

In 2017, Lamar Jackson won a Louie award for Adidas High Performance Male Athlete of the Year.

2017: Heisman Finalist

In 2017, despite a loss to Clemson, Lamar Jackson's statistics led him to be a Heisman finalist, ultimately finishing third in the voting.

January 5, 2018: NFL Draft Announcement

On January 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson announced his intention to enter the 2018 NFL draft, maintaining his desire to play quarterback despite suggestions to switch positions.

June 5, 2018: Rookie Contract Signed

On June 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson officially signed his rookie contract with the Baltimore Ravens, which was reportedly worth $9.47 million.

2018: Offensive Strategy Shift

After the 2018 season concluded, the Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff decided to shift their offensive strategy, creating a new philosophy specifically tailored to Lamar Jackson's unique skills.

2018: Launch of Era 8 Apparel

In 2018, Lamar Jackson announced the launch of his sportswear line, Era 8 Apparel.

2018: Forever Dreamers Foundation founded

In 2018, Lamar Jackson founded The Forever Dreamers Foundation which supports children's welfare and mental health awareness.

2018: NFL Draft Selection

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

2018: Ravens Record

In the seven regular season games that Lamar Jackson started in 2018, the Ravens had a record of 6-1.

2019: Lives in Owings Mills, Maryland

As of 2019, Lamar Jackson lives in Owings Mills, Maryland, about 20 minutes from the Ravens training complex with his mother and siblings.

2019: Rushing Records and Passing Touchdowns

During the 2019 season, Lamar Jackson broke Michael Vick's single-season rushing record for a quarterback and tied the Ravens franchise season record with 33 passing touchdowns. He led all quarterbacks with 36 touchdown passes and also led all rushers with a 6.9 yards per carry average that season.

2019: AFC North Championship

In 2019, Jackson's win against the Miami Dolphins clinched the top-seed in the AFC and the AFC North championship for the first time since 2019.

2019: Celebrity Family Feud appearance and Madden NFL upgrade.

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.

2019: Second Player With Two Perfect Passer Ratings

In 2019, Lamar Jackson became the second player in NFL history to produce two perfect passer ratings in the same season. He also earned his third total AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

2019: Signed jersey gifted to Pope Francis

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

2019: Ravens break rushing record

In 2019, the Ravens broke the single-season rushing record, with Jackson breaking Vick's record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season.

2019: MVP of the 2019 Season

Lamar Jackson was voted MVP of the 2019 season. He became the second player to be voted unanimously and the second-youngest player to win the award.

February 2020: BET Digital Highlight

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: Lawsuit Against Amazon

In March 2020, Lamar Jackson filed a federal lawsuit against Amazon, alleging "deliberate and unauthorized use" of his name, image, and persona and unlawful infringement on his right of publicity related to unlicensed clothing.

August 2020: 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: Positive COVID-19 Test

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

December 2020: Gifts and toys distribution

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, Lamar Jackson became the first quarterback with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He also led the Ravens to their third straight playoff appearance that year.

2020: Pro Bowl MVP

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

April 30, 2021: Ravens exercise 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: 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: Cover star of NFL's first 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, "NFL Pro Era."

December 23, 2022: NFL Pro Era release

On December 23, 2022, the first VR NFL game, NFL Pro Era, was released on PlayStation VR and Meta Quest.

2022: Jackson declines extension and achieves milestones.

In 2022, Lamar Jackson declined a contract extension, believing he could improve his value. He surpassed Michael Vick for the most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback and led the league in quarterback rating (119.0) and passing touchdowns (10) in the first month of the season. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month.

March 7, 2023: Ravens place non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson.

On March 7, 2023, the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson.

September 17, 2023: Ravens defeat 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, Lamar Jackson was again on the cover of the sequel game, NFL Pro Era II.

2023: Second MVP Award

In 2023, Lamar Jackson secured his second NFL MVP award, also leading the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012.

January 3, 2024: Jackson to be inactive for the final game.

On January 3, 2024, the Ravens announced that Lamar Jackson would be inactive for the final game of the regular season. He finished the season with career highs in several passing categories and later won his second NFL MVP award.

2024: Career highs and NFL history.

In 2024, Jackson started all 17 games, achieving career highs in passing yards (4,172), passing touchdowns (41), and passer rating (119.6). He also became the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 800 yards and pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season.

2024: Breaks Michael Vick's rushing record.

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

2024: Jackson leads Ravens to AFC Championship Game, nominated for ESPY.

In 2024, during the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans, Jackson led the Ravens to a 34–10 victory, clinching their first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2012. During the AFC Championship Game, one of his completed passes was batted into the air and caught by Jackson himself, which was named best play at the 2024 ESPY Awards. However, the Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10.

2024: Breaks career rushing record for quarterbacks.

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

March 2025: Cameo appearance 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: Launch of the Forever Dreamers 8 Scholars program.

In April 2025, Lamar Jackson's Dreamers Foundation launched the Forever Dreamers 8 Scholars program. This apprenticeship program gives high school seniors in the Park Heights community a chance to work in Maryland's thoroughbred racing industry.