"Florida was on me hard!": When youngest Heisman winner Lamar Jackson revealed his struggles during Louisville decision 

Lamar Jackson has garnered plenty of attention in the 2024 NFL season as he looks to win his third MVP award and first Super Bowl. While the Baltimore Ravens quarterback fell to the No. 32 overall pick – the last pick in the first round – in the 2018 NFL draft, he has proven to be well worth the investment.

Jackson spent his collegiate career playing for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the Heisman Trophy in 2016 and finishing third in voting in 2017. Ahead of his true freshman season, he sat down with the university's official YouTube series, The Red Zone, where he discussed his commitment to the program. When asked if it was a tough process leading up to his decision, he responded:

"Yes, it really was because Florida was on me hard and Mississippi State was calling me so it was just down to – well, I wanted to leave Florida actually so it wasn't really difficult for me. After that was with Florida, but with Mississippi State and Louisville, it was harder for me."

(from 1:11 mark onwards)

Check out Lamar Jackson's comments on joining the Louisville Cardinals below:

Jackson had a largely successful three-year career with the Cardinals. In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy and having two top-three finishes, he threw for 9,043 yards, 69 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He completed 57.0% of his pass attempts while adding 4,132 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns on 655 carries.

Can Lamar Jackson win his third NFL MVP award in 2024?

Jackson is in the midst of an incredible 2024 season. The Ravens QB has thrown for 3,955 yards, 39 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has completed 67.9% of his pass attempts while adding 852 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 130 carries.

While Buffalo's Josh Allen remains the betting favorite (-200) to take home the prestigious award, Jackson has closed the gap significantly in recent weeks. The two-time NFL MVP is now a +155 to win the award for the third time. Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers are the only players to be named NFL MVP more than three times, earning the honors five and four times, respectively.

If he is able to take home the trophy, Lamar Jackson would join Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre and Tom Brady as three-time NFL MVPs. Despite his individual success, the star quarterback remains focused on reaching the Super Bowl for the first time.