Look back at Lamar Jackson's incredible college career at Louisville before he plays his first NFL game with the Ravens. (0:52).
Louisville will officially retire Lamar Jackson’s No. The school announced Saturday that the No. 8 jersey would be retired in a ceremony at the Cardinals' Nov. 13 match against Syracuse.
Johnny Unitas and Jackson will be the only players to see their numbers retire in school history. Louisville retired Unitas’ No. 16 in 2003.
As Ravens quarterback, the school surprised him with a video announcement.
Jackson stated in the video, "I feel like a Heisman again."
He thought he was meeting the media, but we had different plans...
The moment @Lj_era8 found out that his number is being retired.#GoCards x #L1C4 pic.twitter.com/LIw8XjWxGn Louisville Athletics (@GoCards) October 16, 2021
Jackson was 19 years old when he won the Heisman Trophy. This came 337 days after an extraordinary season, in which he had 4,928 rushing yards. This is second in Heisman history, behind Ty Detmer from BYU (5,022 in 1990).
He is also the first Heisman winner with at least 30 touchdown passes, at least 21 rushing touchdowns and 1,538 rushing yards.
Jackson's most memorable play was with the "Lamar Leap," when Jackson jumped over a Syracuse defender to win a 62-28 victory. This move made him a household name among Heisman voters.
"Lamar won the Heisman, then the NFL MVP, even though he is only 25 years old. He's just getting better, which is even more amazing," Vince Tyra, Louisville athletic director, said in a statement. His humble spirit and grounded approach make him a favorite of his teammates, coaches, and all staff members he has ever worked with. He understands that it takes more than one to be successful in offense. We are proud to have him retire number 8, but we are equally excited for the future."
Jackson won the Heisman Trophy and set or tied 42 school single, season, and career records in his three years at Louisville. He also holds seven ACC records. Jackson is the only FBS player to have rushed for at least 1,500 yards, and passed for at least 3,500 in a single season. He did this in 2016 and 2017. He was third in 2017's Heisman voting.
Jackson is expected at the ceremony in Louisville as the Ravens host a Thursday night match against the Miami Dolphins. Jackson was drafted No. He was drafted No. 32 in 2018 and won NFL MVP honors in 2019.
In a statement, Louisville coach Scott Satterfield stated that he couldn't have asked for a better representative for his football program. "Lamar's influence extends far beyond our campus. He's got the entire city behind him every single day, and we can't WAIT to welcome him back."
