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lamar jackson feature story
LaMar JaCkSON in an Elite Division
by Emma Levine
As the 2019 unanimous NFL MVP and a two-time Pro Bowler, Lamar Jackson is no stranger to people mentioning his long list of accolades. Over his first fourplus seasons, Jackson has put up numbers previously unheard of in the history of the National Football League. In 2022, his on-field success continues to be lauded after he was awarded AFC Offensive Player of the Month accolades for his play in September. There’s more to his game than that, though. How do you quantify the things about Jackson that can’t be measured? Now in his fifth year wearing the Purple and Black, Jackson has emerged as a mature and poised leader whose preparation, football IQ and leadership abilities are just as crucial to his success as his atypical athletic aptitude. The value that he brings to the Ravens is undeniable. Also undeniable is the fact that his on-field performance is not just due to his innate physical skill, but much more. Following one of Jackson’s latest showings of gridiron heroics, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed just how valuable the quarterback’s skills are as a field general. “His way is winning football,” Harbaugh stated. “It’s fundamentally sound quarterback play. He’s running the show out there. He’s making the checks. He’s managing the clock. All the things that you would say an operator or a manager does, he’s doing all those things, too.” Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman echoed those sentiments when discussing Jackson’s heightened involvement in the offense. Whether it is helping design more plays, calling more audibles at the line of scrimmage or just taking on more complicated gameplans, Roman says Jackson’s commitment to leading the offense has been a driving force behind the
Ravens’ dangerous attack.
“He is more vocal,” Roman affirmed during training camp, as the unit worked on its installations. “He’s definitely looking at matchups harder and definitely has more ideas. There’s good collaboration going on there.”
The players feel it, too. Jackson is their natural leader and an irreplaceable presence they are quick to rally around. They recognize they are always in the game when
No. 8 is on the field and feel assured knowing that he is leading them into battle.
“He’s just elite, man. Just everything that he does for this program, the way he plays on and off the field, he’s in an ‘elite division,’ for sure,” stated one of Jackson’s favorite targets, tight end Mark Andrews. As the 2022 season unfolds, it’s a safe bet that Jackson’s skills will continue to grab the sports world’s attention and fuel talk show debates about his superstar abilities, possibly garnering more accolades in the process. But the Ravens know that they can depend on much more than that from their signal caller. Perhaps Jackson said it best himself. “I want to win. I just want to win, and by doing that, I’ve just got to do what I do – play Lamar football.”
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