Lamar Jackson is most likely playing in his final college game but can we stop and enjoy his greatness without being worried about his future in the NFL?
The college football career of one of the best quarterbacks to ever lace them up will likely be coming to an end in the TaxSlayer Bowl today. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson is expected to declare for the NFL Draft by the Jan. 15 deadline after a record-breaking college career that saw him win the 2016 Heisman, finish third in 2017 and join Tim Tebow and Colin Kaepernick as the only players in the history of the sport to rush for 50 touchdowns and throw for 50 touchdowns.
Jackson is a generational talent who did remarkable things on the football field with his feet and his arm that left fans dazzled for the last three years. And he did it all while avoiding any off-the-field issues and has been the model citizen in the community.
In short, Jackson has been a supreme talent and I’m going to miss him so much when he goes to the NFL. But as I’m watching Jackson in the TaxSlayer Bowl, I am already getting sick and tired about hearing from fans on social media who can’t sit and appreciate the player without knocking him and wondering how he’ll fare in the NFL.
Look, I love college football and the NFL, but I don’t watch college football because it’s a factory for the NFL. I watch it to enjoy what players and teams do in college. I don’t watch Lamar Jackson through the prism of how he’ll translate his skills to the next level. And I believe fans are going too far who are knocking Jackson’s passing ability, pocket presence, accuracy and vertical passing. I think it’s completely asinine to be watching a transcendent talent and wonder if he should convert to wide receiver at the combine if he hopes to play in the NFL.
Get a grip, people. Enjoy one of the best the college game has ever seen. Are you that opposed to witnessing greatness that you have to be negative and speculate about why he can’t do this or do that in the NFL? Why can’t you just be a spectator to one of the best players to ever lace them up?
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While I’m a bit miffed at the criticism surrounding Jackson, I know for a fact that the 2016 Heisman winner doesn’t care about the skeptics. Jackson will continue to work as hard as anyone to improve his craft to be the best player he can be. It’s the same mantra he’s had since he was a high school recruit when many thought the lanky 6’3″ dynamo wouldn’t cut it as a college quarterback. He’s been doubted, he’s been told he can’t do this and he can’t do that, but all he’s done is manage to do pretty much anything he’s wanted on a football field for the last 2.5 years.
As accomplished as he is, Jackson is still one of the more underrated players in recent memory. Even this year, he was largely forgotten about after some early Louisville losses. Sure, the Cardinals weren’t in the ACC title picture, but Jackson was written off as a Heisman contender in the preseason in favor of unproven commodities like Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. Those who forgot about Jackson were likely quite surprised when he showed up in his dazzling white suit at the Heisman ceremony and were like, “oh yeah, that Lamar Jackson dude is still in college and holy cow, those numbers are even better than when he won the Heisman last year.”
I don’t know what the future holds for Jackson, but that’s the whole point, let’s just live in the present and enjoy Jackson for the brilliant college talent that we may not see for another decade.