Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. Bio
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. is an American professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Born on January 7, 1997, in Pompano Beach, Florida, he played college football at the University of Louisville, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 as the youngest recipient of the award. Drafted by the Ravens with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson has established himself as one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in the league, earning two NFL Most Valuable Player awards across his career.
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. Early Life and Background
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. was born to Felicia Jones and Lamar Jackson Sr. on January 7, 1997, and grew up in the Golden Acres public housing project in Pompano Beach, Florida. His father died from a heart attack on the same day his grandmother died in 2005, when Jackson was eight years old. He was raised by his mother alongside his younger brother and two younger sisters.
Jackson has credited his mother with introducing him to football and serving as his first coach, recalling that at the age of seven she put him and his brother through demanding workouts. He played Pop Warner football in a South Florida youth league and threw a football 20 yards by age eight. At age 11, Jackson led the Northwest Broward Raiders to a win over a previously dominant Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes team in the South Florida FYFL Super Bowl, playing quarterback, safety, and place kicker in the same game.
Jackson attended public schools in Florida, beginning his high school career relatively late and joining the team only in his junior year. After time at Santaluces, he transferred to Boynton Beach Community High School, where he developed into a read-option quarterback capable of running and throwing with equal skill. In two years at Boynton Beach he passed for 2,263 yards and 31 touchdowns and rushed for 1,624 yards and 22 touchdowns, earning recognition as the Lou Groza Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year in 2014.
Path to American Football
Despite varied ratings from recruiting services, Jackson received Power Five offers from Louisville, Florida, Auburn, and Clemson alongside mid-major offers from programs such as Akron and Western Kentucky. He visited only four schools before committing to Louisville, where head coach Bobby Petrino promised his mother that her son would play quarterback. That commitment to the position helped shape Jackson’s development into a college passer rather than a position switch candidate.
As a communications major at Louisville, Jackson made his collegiate debut in the 2015 season opener against Auburn, starting at running back before relieving the starting quarterback. He took over as the full-time starter and finished his freshman year as the MVP of the 2015 Music City Bowl, rushing for a bowl-record 226 yards against Texas A&M.
During his sophomore season in 2016, Jackson set a Louisville record with eight total touchdowns against Charlotte and produced a 411-yard passing, 199-yard rushing performance against Syracuse that included a memorable hurdle at the goal line. He closed the year by winning the Heisman Trophy at 19 years old, Louisville’s first Heisman winner, and finished 2017 as a Heisman finalist in third place after declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft.
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. Career
Early Career (2018)
Jackson was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft and signed a rookie contract reportedly worth $9.47 million. He made his NFL debut in relief of Joe Flacco during the season opener against the Buffalo Bills, then took over as the starter in Week 11 after Flacco suffered a hip injury. In seven regular-season starts, Jackson led the Ravens to a 6-1 record and the AFC North title.
On the day before his 22nd birthday, Jackson became the youngest quarterback to start an NFL playoff game, leading a fourth-quarter comeback attempt against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card Round that fell just short. He finished his rookie season with 1,201 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, 695 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns.
NFL Breakthrough (2019)
After the 2018 season, the Ravens rebuilt their offensive philosophy around Jackson’s skill set, including new terminology and personnel additions. The results were immediate: Jackson opened 2019 with a 324-yard, five-touchdown performance against the Miami Dolphins that made him the youngest quarterback to achieve a perfect passer rating. He added a second perfect passer rating later that season and tied the franchise record with five passing touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.
Jackson surpassed Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback during a win over the New York Jets and finished the regular season with 36 touchdown passes, an NFL-leading 9.0 passing touchdown percentage, and an NFL-leading 6.9 yards per carry. He was voted the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player, becoming only the second player after Tom Brady to receive the award unanimously and the fourth Black quarterback to win it.
His playoff run ended with a Divisional Round loss to the Tennessee Titans, but Jackson still set a milestone by becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 300-plus yards and rush for 100-plus yards in a single postseason game.
Baltimore Ravens Era (2020-Present)
Jackson continued his dual-threat production in 2020, becoming the first NFL quarterback with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons and earning a Wild Card victory over the Titans before a concussion ended his season against the Buffalo Bills. In 2021 he set a Ravens franchise record with 442 passing yards against the Indianapolis Colts but missed the end of the year with an ankle injury, and in 2022 he missed the final five games with a sprained PCL after leading the league in passer rating early in the season.
Following a contract standoff in early 2023, Jackson signed a five-year extension worth $260 million with $185 million guaranteed and a $72.5 million signing bonus, briefly making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. He earned his second MVP award in 2023, receiving 49 of 50 first-place votes, and led the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2012, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 2024 Jackson set career highs across passing categories, broke Michael Vick’s all-time record for rushing yards by a quarterback on Christmas Day, and became the first player in NFL history to record more than 4,000 passing yards and 900 rushing yards in a single season. He was named First-team All-Pro and the PFWA MVP but finished second in AP voting. The 2025 campaign has featured a Week 9 return from a hamstring injury that included a four-touchdown performance against the Miami Dolphins and his 100th career start against the Minnesota Vikings.
Driving Style and Strengths
Jackson is widely regarded as the best running quarterback in the NFL, with a dual-threat style that draws frequent comparisons to Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick. Beyond his rushing, he has improved steadily as a passer, recording four perfect passer rating games to tie for the most in NFL history. The Ravens have led the league in rushing each year of his tenure except his rookie season, and his 2024 campaign made him the only player in league history to lead in both yards per pass attempt and yards per rush attempt in the same year.
Notable Events and Milestones
Jackson’s career includes the 2016 Heisman Trophy as its youngest-ever winner, a unanimous 2019 NFL MVP, a second MVP in 2023, and the all-time NFL record for rushing yards by a quarterback, which he claimed from Michael Vick in 2024. He also reached his 100th career start in 2025 and owns the NFL mark for most career rushing yards by a quarterback while tying the league record for most perfect passer rating games.
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. Career Wins
Jackson has built one of the most decorated résumés of any modern quarterback, anchored by two NFL Most Valuable Player awards, three First-team All-Pro selections, and four Pro Bowl nods. His teams have reached the playoffs in multiple seasons, including three straight appearances from 2018 to 2020 and the 2023 AFC Championship Game.
NFL Highlights
Jackson earned his first NFL MVP in 2019 after leading the league with 36 touchdown passes and setting the single-season rushing record for a quarterback with 1,206 yards. He added his second MVP in 2023 while guiding the Ravens to a 13-4 record and the AFC’s top seed, then reached the AFC Championship Game that postseason.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his MVP seasons, Jackson was named the 2018 ACC Athlete of the Year, has been selected to four Pro Bowls, and was inducted into the Louisville Cardinals Ring of Honor while having his No. 8 jersey retired by the program. He was also voted the offensive MVP of the 2020 Pro Bowl and has earned 14 career AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL Regular Season (through 2024) | 73 | n/a | n/a |
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jackson was raised by his mother, Felicia Jones, after the death of his father, Lamar Jackson Sr., in 2005. He has a younger brother, Jamar, and two younger sisters, all of whom were raised by their mother. His cousins include NFL cornerbacks Trayvon Mullen, Tiawan Mullen, and James Pierre of the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Adoree’ Jackson listed as a first cousin once removed. As a child, Jackson’s favorite player was Michael Vick, whose dual-threat style helped shape his own approach to the quarterback position.
Personal Life
Jackson is a Christian and has a daughter named Milan, whom he calls by the nickname Lani. He has lived in Owings Mills, Maryland, about 20 minutes from the Ravens’ training complex, where he resides with his mother and siblings. Jackson’s current contract with the Ravens runs through the 2028 season.
2025 Season Performance
Jackson’s 2025 season began with a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in which he left early with a hamstring injury, causing him to miss the next three games. He returned in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins and threw for 204 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-6 victory, earning his 14th career AFC Offensive Player of the Week award. A win over the Minnesota Vikings the following week marked Jackson’s 100th career start and moved his starting record to 73-27.
Midseason form has been uneven, with Jackson posting his worst career passer rating against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 and going multiple consecutive games without a touchdown pass. The Ravens remained in the AFC North race with their second consecutive division title from 2024 still within reach.
Looking ahead, the Ravens will lean on Jackson’s dual-threat production and his contract that runs through 2028 to chase a deeper playoff run than the Divisional Round exits of recent seasons. His health and late-season accuracy will be central to the team’s postseason outlook.
