Ravens' Lamar Jackson Discusses 'Honor' of Having Jersey Retired by Louisville

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson discussed the importance of having his No. 8 jersey retired by the University of Louisville on Saturday.

According to Gary B. Graves of the Associated Press, Jackson said after the ceremony: "I'd just like to thank my teammates. They were with me every step of the way, every game. It's an honor, man, to see all the Lamar Jackson jerseys people wear. Kids, grandmas and grandpas. I can't thank Cardinal Nation enough."

At halftime of the Cardinals' 41-3 win over the Syracuse Orange at Cardinal Stadium, Jackson was presented with his framed Louisville jersey and saw his name and number unveiled on the wall of the stadium:

An emotional Jackson became only the second player in program history to have his number retired, joining legendary Louisville and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas.

Jackson played three seasons at Louisville from 2015 to 2017 and put up some eye-popping numbers in the process.

The Pompano Beach, Florida, native ranks fourth in school history in passing yardage (9,043) and fifth in passing touchdowns (69). He is also the program's all-time leader with 4,132 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns.

Jackson enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in college football history in 2016 when he threw for 3,543 yards, 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions while also rushing for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns en route to winning the Heisman Trophy.

After finishing third in the Heisman voting the following year, Jackson was selected 32nd overall in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Ravens.

Jackson's unique skill set has translated well to the NFL, as he was named NFL MVP in 2019, which was his first full season as a starter.

Lamar is in the MVP conversation once again this season, and he has the Ravens off to a 6-3 start despite several key injuries on both sides of the ball.