The only Heisman Trophy winner in Louisville history is getting his number retired. Lamar Jackson, who suited up for the team from 2015-17 en route to being named the best player in the sport and becoming a first-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens, will see his No. 8 immortalized by the program, making him the second Cardinals player to earn this distinction alongside legendary signal caller Johnny Unitas.
The news came as a surprise to Jackson, as the university didn’t let him know his jersey was going to be retired. In a video posted to their Twitter account, the school pulled a fast one on Jackson, making him think he was going to meet with some members of the media before Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra and head football coach Scott Satterfield told him the news.
He thought he was meeting with the media, but we had other plans…
The moment @Lj_era8 found out that his number is being retired.#GoCards x #L1C4 pic.twitter.com/LIw8XjWxGn
— Louisville Athletics (@GoCards) October 16, 2021
Jackson won just about everything there is to win during his 2016 campaign with the Cardinals en route to being named a unanimous All-American as a sophomore. He played one more year in college, and in the years since, things have gone pretty well for him. The Ravens’ signal caller won an unanimous NFL MVP award in 2019 and is currently at the helm of a 4-1 team with Super Bowl aspirations.
The jersey retirement ceremony will take place on Nov. 13 against Syracuse. Jackson and the Ravens will play two days earlier on Thursday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins.