At the recently held Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, NFL QB Lamar Jackson made a surprise appearance. The Ravens superstar per reports was at the NASCAR event to support the defending champion Ryan Blaney. While the race was called off due to bad weather, Lamar managed to make it to the news thanks to his surprise and albeit awkward encounter with one of Daniel Suarez’s pit crew members.
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The two-time NFL MVP is a superstar in most rooms he enters into. The Coca-Cola 600 event was no different. Hence it was natural that crew members of multiple drivers wanted a picture and pleasantry with the NFL superstar. The Ravens QB shook hands with multiple crew members. However, something strange happened during Lamar’s interaction with Daniel Suarez’s entourage.
After shaking hands with three pit members, Lamar greeted the fourth with a side hug and a handshake that lasted an eternity. Jokes aside, the handshake awkwardly lasted for a few extra moments reaching a weird territory. While the duo did seem like they were talking about something, the constant handshake while talking certainly felt weird to the fans.
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NFL fans hence took to social media to react. The initial fan reaction fully focused on the awkwardness of the handshake.
— Suresh (@sureshhmenonn) May 27, 2024
— Suresh (@sureshhmenonn) May 27, 2024
A few fans also noted how the pit crew member would have been praying to get his hands free.
— Suresh (@sureshhmenonn) May 27, 2024
All said and done, while the handshake did go on for a tad too long, the pit crew member wasn’t a stranger to Lamar at all. In fact, the pit crew member turned out to be Lamar’s senior from college.
Lamar Jackson Reunites With College Senior Punter At NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600
The pit crew member that Lamar shook hands with was none other than Joshua Appleby, a former punter at the University of Louisville. Since the Ravens QB also graduated from the same university, the two have a connection from their alma mater.
Appleby and Lamar however never got to play together as the QB’s freshman season [2015] was a year later than the kicker’s final season [2014] at Louisville. Despite not playing, they surely must have had some bond back then which translated to the meeting yesterday.
A few netizens upon being privy to this information were surprised that a former kicker is now part of NASCAR. However, it’s actually a very common migratory path for countless football athletes who fail to make it to the NFL. Pit stop efficiency in racing is a big metric. Being a pit crew member is a highly physical job that can only be undertaken by athletic bodies. With alternate football leagues not picking up steam, many NFL rejects thus ply their trade in NASCAR, leveraging their athletic builds.
All said it was beautiful seeing two friends meeting after so long. Handshake aside, the meeting must have surely stirred a few college memories in the duo’s heads.
