Is Louisville Finally Building a Lamar Jackson Statue?

The former Heisman Trophy winner for the Cardinals could finally be getting his sought-after statue.

(Photo of Lamar Jackson: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For those who have been long clamoring for former Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson to have a statue of him erected, you may finally be getting your wish.

In an interview with 93.9 The Ville's Drew Deener and former Cardinals head coach John L. Smith on Monday, Tyra was discussing recent beautification plans regarding Cardinal Stadium and the area around it. When talking about the removal of the ticket office and team store from the east side of the stadium, Tyra may have hinted that this is where Louisville will place a statue of the former Heisman Trophy winner.

"This availed us a chance to add gates, make it more fan friendly, create a plaza area where you can recognize more of our legacy,” he said. “To include likely taking Johnny (Unitas) off the Norton Terrace, and bringing him down, and put Lamar with him out front, where fans would be more accessible to. Particularly the kids in the community."

Tyra did not offer any timeline for the construction or completion of the statue, nor the proposed plaza area. It's possible that he could be talking purely in hypotheticals, but it's also possible that he had a Freudian slip and divulged future plans for Cardinal Stadium.

"I have a long term view of what we could do along Floyd Street," Tyra said at the announcement of "The Alley" last week. "There are more things that I think we can do. You'll love to have more of this space through here working hand in hand with us."

The 6-foot-2, 212-pound signal caller is without a doubt the greatest player in Louisville football history. He set 42 school and 12 ACC records in just three years as a Cardinal, amassing 13,175 passing & rushing yards and 119 total touchdowns.

His sophomore season in 2016 was the year he was officially vaulted into national recognition. After collecting 5,114 yards & 51 touchdowns, Jackson was selected as the winner of the 2016 Heisman Trophy - becoming Louisville's first winner in school history and the youngest-ever recipient of the award. He also won the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards, and was named the Associated Press and ACC Player of the Year.

The Pompano Beach, Fla. native was selected by the Ravens with the final pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and had tremendous success early in his professional career. He has lead Baltimore to a 30-7 record as a starter, including winning the 2019 NFL MVP by a unanimous vote. In 46 total games, he has amassed 9,991 total yards of offense and 87 touchdowns.

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