"I was hurt": Former Louisville QB Lamar Jackson once shared 'crazy' moment of losing grandma and father on same day
When Baltimore Ravens star nfl/lamar-jackson" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Lamar Jackson was just eight years old in 2005, he lost his father, Lamar Jackson Sr., and his grandmother the same day, leaving him disheartened. His father died due to a heart attack. It was his mother, Felicia Jones, who picked him up and his siblings, asking them to remain strong during such a difficult time.
During his appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" in December 2016, the former Louisville quarterback spoke about how his mother helped him when tragedy struck their family.
"It was crazy. I was hurt, you know, I was crying a lot," Jackson said. "My father passed, but then my mom found out my grandma passed, probably an hour later actually.
"She told me she didn't want everyone to find out about it, so she was like, 'Come here.' I was like, 'Yes, ma'am.' She said, 'Don't cry, but my grandmother has passed.' I was like, 'Don't cry.'
"I loved them to death, and I still try to make them happy. I'm blessed right now, thankful. But Mom said, 'You can't cry, you can't cry.' So, you know, I have to suck it up. I'm listening to my mother." (9:00)
Lamar Jackson considers his mom, Felicia Jones, the real soldier
It's not easy to cope with such a loss at such an age, but thanks to Felicia Jones, she didn't let Lamar Jackson disturb his life and instead raised him to be a warrior. In another interaction, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback recalled how his mother helped him cope with loss.
“But back to my mother. She put so much into me, like I said before, losing my father and my grandma on the same day,” Lamar said.
“It hurt me. I wanted to cry real bad, but my mom was the real soldier, because I was going to be the baby, the female that day. But she told me, ‘Lamar, do not cry,’ and I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”
Felicia's impact on Lamar Jackson's life continued in his recruiting days as well. While many thought Jackson would be ideal in other skillful positions like running back or defensive back, his mother told all recruiters that his son would not compromise and would play at quarterback only.
That turned out to be a good decision, as Lamar Jackson would go on to be picked in the first round of the 2018 draft and become a two-time NFL most valuable player.