American football player Lamar Demeatrice Jackson was born on January 7, 1997, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
He was born to Felicia Jones and Lamar Jackson Sr. He has the same father as his two sisters and his younger brother Jamar Jackson, with whom he spent most of his time.
Lamar Jackson grew up in a tough neighborhood in Pompano Beach, Florida. When Jackson was 8 years old, his father died of a heart attack on the same day as his grandmother in 2005.
He and his siblings were raised by their mother. He attended public schools and participated in Pop Warner football with future teammate Marquise Brown in the same league in Florida.
Jackson could throw a football 20 yards when he was just 8 years old, and he also threw a football 100 yards in high school. He and his mother are quite close and she is incredibly proud of the progress he has made in his football career.
Jackson thrived as a quarterback at Boynton Beach High School in Florida. Jackson was a productive read-option quarterback at Boynton Beach who was also adept at running and throwing the ball.
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He spent hours each week watching film to improve his decision-making and passing accuracy. Jackson totaled 2,263 yards, 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions in two seasons in Boynton Beach.
Jackson threw two interceptions and Boynton Beach was brutally beaten 49-6. In a track meet, he set a personal best of 11.45 seconds in the 100 meters while competing for his high school’s track and field team.
Jackson received a three-star rating from 247Sports and ESPN.com, but a four-star rating from Rivals.com. He received offers from Power Five colleges like Louisville, Florida, Auburn and Clemson as well as mid-tier programs like Akron, Western Kentucky and Marshall, despite debate among recruiting firms over his caliber.
Jackson was ranked among the top 20 dual-threat quarterbacks by every major recruiting firm, with 247Sports ranking him No. 12. Jackson’s national ranking also fluctuated significantly, from No. 51 on Rivals to No. 80 on ESPN.
Jackson appeared in 12 games and made eight starts as a freshman at Louisville in 2015 (he was majoring in communications). The Cardinals finished the season 8-5. He rushed for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns while completing 135 of 247 throws for 1,840 yards, 12 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Jackson declared his intention to enter the 2018 NFL Draft on January 5, 2018. Although some draft experts questioned Jackson’s quarterbacking abilities and urged him to switch to wide receiver due to his athleticism, he steadfastly vowed to play quarterback professionally.
Since his rookie season, Jackson has been widely regarded as the best quarterback in the NFL. His dual-threat approach to the game has led to many analogies to Michael Vick. With Jackson at the helm, the Ravens led the league in scoring every year until his first season.
In 2019, the Ravens surpassed the mark for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a season, and Jackson also surpassed Vick’s mark. But controlling the run game raises questions about his ability to play as a pure pocket passer.
Although most commentators have noted improvements in his passing ability over time, he is rarely compared to the best passers in the league.
Lamar Jackson’s Children: Meet Lamar Jackson’s Daughter Milan
Jackson is very private about his personal life. He is known to be dating Los Angeles-based dog groomer Jamie Taylor. Jackson has a daughter named Milan and the only time he shared her on social media was on her birthday.