you because I don't know how often you get a chance to just
watch yourself. Make people look like clowns,
but my real question is when you that's not something you
can practice, but how do you perfect Escape ability? If your
Lamar Jackson,
I really don't know.
Just try not to get tackled. Is there any time that you come up
against a defense? You like, oh, but they might be able to
contain me. Like give me the mentality. Going into every
game,
every game score. Points. I'm going to every game. Ready to
score points on look at nobody like
or they might stop me or he might be too good. You know
I feel like all of us good that's why we're in the NFL so just do
my job. Do my part. Have you ever looked back at film and
been like but that play
like when you look back you like that was pretty cold.
There's got to be a couple touchdown play, Mike, which one?
I'll probably go back and watch some high school. This song
really? Yeah, I go back that deep. Like I wouldn't really
look at the NFL games. Probably when I'm done playing, I would
not. You don't have one moment that you look back and was like
okay.
Not because I feel like I could have did something better
really? Yeah. So would you consider yourself like very
critical
of Lamar Jackson? I am, that's why I only did the outside
noise. Don't bother me because I'm already like,
ticked off at myself. Yeah. What's the greatest criticism?
I guess, because you don't really hear it, but
that you've heard about your game,
I heard all type of crazy stuff like I already know what's
the craziest thing though?
Yeah, I don't know. Probably when I was coming into the lead
like
trying to offer running back receiver, like, stuff like
that. I'm like,
nobody told me this. I never got this but literally my
favorite quote from you
pretty good for a running back.
Oh yeah, yeah 2019. I remember that. I remember that. Yeah. No
I didn't I didn't even think it was gonna go like viral like as
a cult but it did well tell everyone the history behind it
though. Yeah, like I was saying you know, he's a running back
and then going into my second year in the league, I'm study
hearing. My
alright, so after the game, you know, think I threw for like
300 and some yards.
I think it was like a perfect passer rating game through
a few touchdowns.
So then Coach was like, yeah, gave me the game ball at
the end of the game and that's when I pretty much I said, I think.
What's so interesting about your story is it almost doesn't
matter what you put on film
yet. People still
assume this one thing about your game. Yeah. Do I have that
right? Yeah. How does it feel to be in that type of
a situation? Equation.
I mean, I'm cool with it because I feel like all that
Grace had to go through that, you know, my joy had to go
through some, you know, he was before he was Michael Jordan.
That God, like he is, you know, LeBron had to go through song
Kobe Bryant, he wasn't getting the respect, you know, at a time,
they would sound like he was ranked, like, 90 some player in
the league when he, you know, he top five all-time like, you
know. So
I fill out all the great to go through it. So I don't really
bother me because I feel like I'm gonna be great at the end
up in my career. So
Yeah, you know, I was blessed. I got to cover you in college.
Yeah. And what I thought was so interesting about that story
was the fact that, I mean, you are three-star. Recruit am
I right? Yeah. I'm not leaving any stars on 93
Starscream
but everyone assumed that you weren't gonna play quarterback
in college. Yeah. Oh, no. Ha. Probably because I'm, you know,
they're not used to send a quarterback like so Shifty
and like fast at the same time.
They like a just take away from me throwing a ball like oh yeah
he a good one. Here's a girl, he's a great Runner. It's like
But you won't give me credit for throwing. Probably throw
like seven touchdown that game but he like you did you see
that highlight of his run? So we're like it is what it is and
I love that you put on like an announcer voice. Every time you
do it oh he's a
runner.
Come on Bobby. See not be here now I'm late. I understand
these people but it's all good.
What gave you the resolve to be like okay even though they're
all saying, I got to be a running back or DB, I'ma play
quarterback. And how did you come to find that School
Louisville? They had a sit-down, my mom.
My last year for so
my last year in high school
and you know, she wasn't having it like me going somewhere else
and plan another position because I never played another
position probably like defense when I was a youth. But
I haven't played any other positions growing up. So
she would like, man, I do. My son have to she's a man, but
she was like, my son has to play, you know, quarterback,
because that's why I'm let him go to your school. If anything,
that's why I'm committed here,
he told me, he promised the time again, the opportunity to
play quarterback. No. But he gonna have to show me
the quarterback, you know, like a man. Man, like the man he is,
and I like, it was a respect thing from all of us. It was
a mutual respect thing. You know, for my mom, Me Myself and
Coach. Bobby Petrino Lamar, Thomas, you know, he don't know
who recruited me for a little
now, and I got there was probably, like, six other
quarterbacks, you know, on the roster like before me. So it
was like,
I got to work my tail. All right now,
and that's pretty much how the story began.
So you mean, we have your mom to thank for all of the great
Lamar highlights that we get to watch now in the NFL. Oh yeah,
no doubt.
No doubt. That's amazing. Yeah, we wasn't going for no other
position because it was I know I could have played another
position but it was like, I'm a quarterback. I've never played
that. I'm not for not let you force me to play a position.
I'm not, you know,
I'm not wanting to do like I'm not used to playing. So yeah.
So you go from being told you're not a quarterback to
winning the NFL MVP as a quarterback. Yeah.
What was that moment? Like, for you,
it was a real. Like it was,
it was felt. It was overwhelmed. It felt fake
life. Like, I never watched Star Wars. I never watched Star
Wars.
I never did. So for me to be honor and winning the war. It
was crazy.
I was like the youngest to do it. Like
it was pretty dope.
So you actually sat back and took that moment and
did what you still being critical of yourself because it
sounds like you crazy. Yeah. Because we go to the Super Bowl
that year so I was hurt for real, I would like happy about
it but it was like man I wanted this spring this year like my
teammates and I work so
hard like we had a great team that season and
shout out to The guy could help me get that award to, you know,
that's
even though it's an MVP like individualize award but it's
like as a team or a tan in the end of the day because they
help me.
Okay. Well you brought this up a little bit earlier. We
actually have a high school highlight. Yeah. Yeah. Because
I was like listen I Lamar Back in Florida, we gotta bring it
back. Oh yeah. You know I don't want him to see himself. Yeah
it's not
after light hits when you thought. Yeah.
Okay. Okay here you ready. You got to tell me everything about
this highlight. I'm sure.
Oh yeah,
we wanted your cat in me.
You see you see my boy Zak. Yeah, I got the crap back in
the back. Play about playback, playback watching number two.
Okay,
boom. You see the up when I'm doing that he falling Dante you
know I got my lime and got Dooley right. There
is
one of those guys but yeah,
yeah it was else.
Well, the spring game doesn't spring game. Yeah, so you just
do it, it didn't even matter. What it was, it was talking
trash. Like, We Never
A them before like regular season, anything like that. We
end up having to play them that season regular season. We blew
them out again, but they was talking trash.
Like, they had a pep rally, I guess. I think
they had a pep rally for. I gave him everything. Like we
never had a spring pep rally game on thing, but they had
a pep rally and I'm seeing it on social media. Like they got
tiger odds because I think even Tigers to
a bank. Some they got they loved tiger beating our tiger.
I'm like, hey, they taking this game, very seriously. Like
we're not, you know, we're not. So I was how Did you score on
them?
Only remember, we had a field day with them. No,
it was my 7:45. I remember that because I was I was mad. Like
my whole team was mad because they was talking, we don't
really talk. Okay. So that's a PSA for everybody out there.
Don't don't make Lamar mad like
don't give a bulletin board material,
I think I like it. Do like really. Do you feed on that?
Yeah, I see it but I ain't gonna let you know. I seen it
just going to play ball.
What if people not know about that, that kid in high school?
I'm sorry,
you don't know about them.
Don't even know.
How do you think you've changed? I mean, I know you're
just 25 now so still super young in the game but at
the same time that was a while ago. Yeah,
changed a lot. Since
I was a kid, I was having fun. I was a lot like outgoing this
stuff. Like now I'm really not.
Yes, you are. Don't do that and I like not really do like,
it'll be Buddy asking me like all I really wanted me to go
out. Then I'll probably go out a song with
me. Just only. Let's go have fun
me back then. It was like, yeah, I want to go out.
When did you realize? And I don't know if it was in high
school but that you could play at the highest level. Like at
what point did, you know
youth football
already to? I told my teachers I was going to the NFL really,
you know, when I first started playing
with pads on 2004 I was like when I when I start playing
scoring touchdowns and
Tough. I still don't understand the game really cuz I didn't
watch it. I wouldn't watch football. I just know how to
play it. Yeah.
And you know like my teacher was like, we wrote down stuff,
like what should go
get NFL player. I always said that. Whenever you know, my
teachers are
make us like rice on. Like what's your goals in life? What
you want to be when you grow up
in a fair football player? So I pretty much already had. That
was plan A and B.
Yeah, and that's one thing. But then when did it become? But
I'm also going to be a top five quarterback or I'm also going
to win
NFL MVP Ima Be Elite. When did that become a goal set for you?
Always want to win the
highest award like Championship. I want to win
the Super Bowl. I always wanted to win the Super Bowl. I want one
youth football. I didn't win States. You know, I didn't win
States and high school. I wanted that
like I end up getting repeat. I wanted to win a National
Championship in college. I got Heisman, I wanted to win, you
know, Super Bowl MVP.
It's still, I want to win a Super Bowl. I still want to win
a National Championship. Don't get another day, shoutout to
slide it in. Heisman never forget? Yeah,
sounds good.
What is the role you think you're playing? And like
the way that football is changing? The way that we're watching
the NFL change because you call yourself the new era 8 so I'm
trying to figure out what this new era is. Yeah, no error.
Okay, you guys,
okay you got a point but you know that
my coach like they had two jerseys in a locker
and I'm used to having number one but I had seven and cotton
high school but like my teammate, he was dead. That's
cool. He had them once I couldn't get it. So I just
gotta roll with seven
but when I got to college, I'm like, man, I'm getting my
number one back. Somebody had it down like a
Alfonso Carter. As my God,
he had a number one already, so I couldn't get it
and then in lockup was eight.
So I hate my mom. I'm like, man, I got number eight, like,
who was number eight? Like Kobe had number eight, but that was
like, early his career. But I'm like man, who wrote, who wears
number eight, my arm like that number.
And she would like,
Like she did something I messing with like
number eight that for New Beginnings.
I'm like the a new beginning
and I think my Instagram handle was like
something else at the time
I got to change my Instagram name
like them over the put that 8 in there
like New Era them. Listen, the new are promotions
Bad. The kid, like I'm like new error. New are 80.
Yeah, not to change my name to New Era, eat
2015. 2014 one of them. Well, I think that your ushering in
a new era, I think kids are playing in the backyard and
pretending like, they're Lamar Jackson.
They haven't always had that to look to
those crazy. I never looked at it like that either. Like kids.
Like I'm like, how does that feel
as though? Like this?
You know that's touching really cuz
I was wondering kid like oh my God
today
I'll be talking. Brady I went to like 10 touchdowns by so
yeah, that's cool. Hopefully it can, you know,
I got like 20 more years in me, you know they keep doing that.
So that's cool. You know you like to have fun. Okay. So
I want to break down some film of you dancing.
Okay,
what's this? Oh no. That was it love
my sister. Had me do it. You're doing it wrong?
Okay, I'll be right there
doing the dance wrong. It goes, it's really the opposite. Way
out. My left was me going forward. Mmm. But I just, you
know
what? I'm
yeah, when I'm comfortable around my people
that last, what was the song?
I don't know. It was like a little beat. No, no. All right.
No, that's all
yeah. Well I just felt like, you know, the Kodak Black. We
had to bring it in. Oh yeah that Bob
what is the
one thing that you feel like you can't do? Because it's
obviously not dancing.
Are you can work on Dancing, I can work alone on work on that.
I reckoned as if I wanted to know. You know, I got a little
rhythm with me but
but the feet are backwards. Yeah,
cuz I was out there funny.
I just really thought the footwork will work with dancing
and it just seems like it has a really translated some good
work on that. That's all that I wanted to break down a little
bit. I see less we don't record
okay I wanted to make sure that people understand that you also
are big in the community and then so the fun day with LJ
just watching the video.
I was with you and the kids.
Oh no, it's my heart. So you're doing this in South Florida?
Yeah. Right. Where you grew up? I was pumping. There's a kept
pumping or Cowboys part right now.
So what is it, like going back to where you grew up and
sharing almost your success like them being able to see you
representation matters. Lamar. Yeah, that was
pretty much when I was a kid, I went to David Crockett here and
Crockett. I'm going to cuddling right down,
Henry Crockett, David Crockett, the foundation that bless in
high school. They used to have a nice to have all the kids
come out from the community, probably, from where Ever know
wherever in the world
and they just have a fun day skill day with the kids. You
know, they have like celebrity football players coming right?
In Moss. I asked you to seeing that one time
and Stephen Jackson. I think he was out there one time
and pretty much. That's why I got that idea from like man.
I want to give back to my community as well. You know. So
what's it like to be that guy now? But these kids can look up to
do. I just want to keep being a role model for those kids you
know come out of my community wherever else they from, you
know,
Successful when they get older, that's all. That's pretty much
what that's about that. What your message is Jackson? What
do you say?
I just just always be your own man, you know? Don't follow
nobody.
You probably going to hear you probably won't get doubt.
Probably going to have friends that do stuff that you probably
don't agree with, but don't get forced to do it,
you know. Just Just Do Your Own Thing.
Have your own lane, you know, let's tell your parents and
your parents want to see you do not bad. Listen to your
teachers, you know the principles. They won't stay in
the wrong direction.
That's all you have Supreme confidence. That's in yourself
and your ability from day one. You knew you were going to be
a quarterback. You knew you were going to
be a lie, you're writing down an elementary school that
you're going to play in the NFL. Where do you think that
comes from? How do you sustain that despite all the criticism
and everything that you put up with over
the years?
Pretty much just not myself. Like I know I can do this, if
I can't do it, I won't just I can do that. Like just to be that
guy, you know, I'm like
confident in myself,
you know, I came this far, you know, certain things that
people can do
that. I can do.
I was like that's what that confidence come from. I'm gonna
do this, I'm gonna show you. I can do it and just do it.