Raven Country

NBA Star Explains Ravens QB's Insane College Impact

Before Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson became an NFL superstar, he was arguably the face of college football.

Jon Alfano

May 11, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts in the fourth quarter of game three of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
May 11, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts in the fourth quarter of game three of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images
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Today, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP and one of the most-electrifying players in the league.

Before that, though, he took the college football world by storm at Louisville. He saw a good deal of action as a freshman in 2015, but it was his sophomore season in 2016 that truly made him a superstar. He produced countless highlight-reel plays, racked up 5,114 total yards and 51 touchdowns, and became the school's first-ever Heisman Trophy winner.

Jackson's junior season in 2017 was similarly spectacular, as he racked up 5,261 total yards and 45 touchdowns, though he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting this time. However, he did earn his second-straight ACC Offensive Player of the Year award.

The dual-threat sensation made a massive impact on not just Louisville football, but the university as a whole. Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, who played for Louisville's men's basketball team from 2015-17, recalled how Jackson took the university by storm during his college career.

"He's doing [stuff], he's like jumping over people," Mitchell said on the "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast. "I'm like, yo, the game's at 1 o'clock, you got the basketball team up at 6 a.m. tailgating with the students because we're like, 'This is gonna be a show,'"

Mitchell, a five-time NBA All-Star, also recalled how he and Jackson would play basketball with each other in college, and the quarterback's skill on the court.

"We were having dunk contests my freshman year in the gym. Me, Lamar, some of the guys on the [basketball] team and the football team, and he was out here windmilling, throwing it off the wall, like crazy," Mitchell said.

Jackson and Mitchell are undoubtedly among the best athletes to ever come out of Louisville, so seeing them still supporting each other years later is great to see for their fans.

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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