Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson emphasized that he feels like he still has something to prove to his doubters, according to Jamison Hensley for ESPN. A huge part of having something to prove stems from being a Black quarterback for Jackson. Unfortunately, throughout the history of the NFL Black athletes have nearly gotten a fair shake at the quarterback position. While there are a few anomalies and as of late, there’s been a shift within the NFL. However, it doesn’t take away the fact of the ugly past.
The MVP quarterback guest-starred on Lakers LeBron James’ show “The Shop,” which premiered this Friday. At some point in the show, James discussed the history of the NFL and its bias against Black quarterbacks, “It’s dying off, but it’s still there.”
Jackson responded, “It’s still there. That’s why I need that championship.”
Lamar actually just replied, he didn’t say anything about it. This is what Lamar Said on the Shop. pic.twitter.com/rDGzs1lzIr
— TonyThePodBoss (@TonythePodBoss) March 5, 2022
Haters going to hate
James also mentioned that he feels disrespected when not being included in discussions about the best scores in NBA history, per ESPN. He also threw the conversation over towards Jackson and says he can relate because often the critics don’t consider him to be a “real quarterback”.
Throughout the conversation, Jackson admitted that plenty of coaches asked him to run wide receiver drills during scouting combines after he won the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Jackson claims, “I have no idea,” when asked why was this done.
In 2018, Jackson became the fourth Black quarterback to win the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He continues to make history for the Baltimore Ravens in his young career as he’s 37-12 in the regular season as a starter. However, he’s yet to grasp playoff success to elevate him into the net level, 1-3 in the postseason.
All in all, one can tell that Jackson truly looks up to James and his legacy. He wishes similar success for himself going forward and hopes that they remain friends.
“Everything. And being a champion. I feel like that’s the one thing I want to take from him if anything else. You know, being a champion,” Jackson said.”Since I was a kid, I’ve dreamt of becoming a billionaire and a champion.”
