Getty Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson takes time to greet local children before a November 2019 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
At just 24 years old, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has already built quite the impressive resume: youngest-ever Heisman Trophy winner in 2018, unanimous (and second-youngest in league history) NFL MVP in 2019, Madden cover athlete in 2020 and the owner of a clothing brand to boot.
It appears that Jackson will be able to add ‘published author’ to his list of accomplishments, as the star quarterback announced a forthcoming children’s book today on Instagram.
Penned by Jackson, the book is titled, “I Dream, You Dream, Let Us Dream!” His Instagram post didn’t offer any additional details, but the title and Jackson’s past youth engagement suggest that the book will have an inspirational theme.
This is Jackson’s second venture outside of football, as the former Louisville Cardinal launched his own clothing brand, Era 8 Apparel, in 2018.
Ravens wideouts Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and Binjimen Victor both commented on Jackson’s post, congratulating their quarterback for his upcoming book.
Book Continues Jackson’s Youth Engagement
Jackson has spent his career giving back to those in need, with a focus on helping youth.
In 2018, he donated $25,000 to the Louisville chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, a charity that provides weekend meals to students who receive low-cost or free meals at school through the National School Lunch Program.
Jackson’s donation briefly became national news when fans of the Buffalo Bills organized a fundraising effort for the charity after Jackson suffered a game-ending concussion during a January 2021 playoff loss to the Bills.
Jackson’s youth engagement has also earned him some negative headlines. Back in July, several league observers, including Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, criticized Jackson when footage of his annual “Fun Day with LJ” showed the quarterback playing wide receiver and defensive back on a basketball court.
Both Florio and Sharpe, among others, said that Jackson was being reckless by participating in a non-team activity on an asphalt surface that could result in a serious injury.
Many came to Jackson’s defense, including several fellow NFL players, but Jackson’s response revealed his dedication to youth engagement.
Itz better to have them kidz out there having fun then playing with gunz and 💩 so next year we running it back with even more fun💜🖤
Jackson is becoming an expert at shrugging off criticism, as he’s been doubted as a quarterback for his entire career. Even after leading the Ravens to three consecutive playoff appearances and earning a unanimous NFL MVP Award in 2019, some pundits still predicted that defenses would figure out how to stop Jackson this season.
His response? A simple “I doubt it,” followed by a scorching start to the 2021 season with 1,077 passing yards and 279 rushing yards in just four games.
Ravens Fans React to Jackson’s Announcement
Unsurprisingly, Ravens fans were excited that their franchise quarterback would be publishing a children’s book. Jackson is beloved in Baltimore, both for his leadership of the Ravens and his community engagement with the city’s youth.
“Lamar Jackson writing a children’s book is the coolest thing of all time,” wrote one fan, who might be forgetting about some of Jackson’s career highlights, including an emphatic flip into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.
Jackson has yet to announce an official release date for his book, but expect it to sell like hotcakes when it does hit bookshelves.