Lamar Jackson received another unforgettable honor on Friday as Boynton Beach High School officially retired his No. 7 jersey and renamed the street outside the school “Lamar Jackson Way.” In a fitting tribute to one of the most electrifying athletes the school and the state of Florida have ever produced, the speed limit on the newly renamed street was also changed to seven miles per hour in recognition of Jackson’s iconic jersey number.
Long before becoming a two-time NFL MVP and the face of the Baltimore Ravens franchise, Jackson was already becoming a legend in Palm Beach County.
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Playing under legendary coach Rick Swain at Boynton Beach High School, Jackson developed into one of Florida’s most dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks and one of the nation’s premier high school prospects. According to 247Sports, Jackson was rated as the nation’s No. 8 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 31 overall player in Florida. Scout.com ranked him as the No. 30 player nationally at his position and the No. 8 prospect in the South Region.
His dominance on the field quickly became impossible to ignore.
Jackson earned Class 6A Florida All-State First Team honors as a utility player and eventually became the first Boynton Beach player ever to win the prestigious Lou Groza Award High School Player of the Year honor, an award presented annually since 1992.
His senior season alone sounded almost fictional.
Jackson finished the 2014 season with 1,293 passing yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 1,039 rushing yards and 19 more scores on the ground. He routinely delivered video-game production, including a performance where he passed for 346 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 146 yards and five additional scores. During another memorable outing, Jackson rushed for 237 yards on just 14 carries as Boynton Beach piled up 606 rushing yards in a win over Lake Worth. Even before that breakout senior year, Jackson had already established himself as a rising star after throwing for 1,740 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns during his junior season.
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The dominance continued at the University of Louisville, where Jackson became one of college football’s most decorated players ever.
In 2016, Jackson won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the youngest player in history to capture the award. He also won the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top quarterback, the Maxwell Award as college football’s best player, and ACC Player of the Year honors. Jackson shattered conference and school records during his historic college career, including ACC records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
Now, years later, his football journey has come full circle.
Boynton Beach High School’s permanent honoring of Jackson’s jersey and the renaming of the street outside the school ensure that future generations will immediately understand the impact he had both on the field and within the community.
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For Lamar Jackson, the honors continue growing. So does the legacy.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Lamar Jackson Way unveiled outside his former high school
