Lamar Jackson’s Superhero Mom Felicia Trained Him Like Crazy for the Big Stage, Before Eventually Negotiating a Mammoth Deal for Him

Lamar Jackson has one person to thank for his monumental success: his mother. As fiercely private individuals, all that is known of Jackson’s tumultuous childhood is that his father died in a car accident when he was 8, on the same day as his grandmother. Jones told him then not to cry, that they would do better and amount to something. And they did, now standing at the pinnacle of success, Jackson firmly cemented as one of the best and most paid QBs.

Many know of Felicia Jones’s role as Jackson’s manager. The two made headlines when the Ravens QB scripted history and became the highest-paid QB in the league back in April, a title that would soon be out of his hands. The remarkable thing was, that it all happened without an agent, rather Jones and Jackson together negotiated the deal. However, in the myriads of roles that his mother played, one often skips notice: that of his first football coach.

In 2016, Jackson wrote an essay for The Players’ Tribune, where he talked about how he was able to grow into a better player, crediting his mother for much of his game and his initial coaching. In a stunning revelation, the Heisman winner detailed how his mother would run with him, no matter the weather.

What’s more, the drills were harder than anything Jackson had experienced since turning pro as he said, “I’ve never played in a football game that was more tiring than those long runs on that bridge.” He called his mom the best coach he’s ever had. She not only went on runs with him but also ran drills with him in the backyard. “She had a vision for my football career even before I did,” Jackson wrote.

Lamar Jackson’s Momager Negotiates Mammoth Contract

From ensuring a starting QB role for her son pre-draft to ensuring that he gets what he’s worth as a starting quarterback for the Ravens, Felicia Jones has stood by her son, always his guiding light. The standoff between the Ravens and Jackson was a huge paper-grabbing matter earlier this year. Jackson and the team had been at loggerheads over a contract for some time as he sought his worth.

Although he represents himself as an agent Jackson didn’t act alone to secure the five-year, $260 million contract with $185 million guaranteed. Jackson said that while he negotiated with the Ravens brass, “me and her (were) piggybacking off of each other” to get the deal across the finish line. From raising 4 children as a single mother to making sure she never asked for handouts, Jones served as the ultimate inspiration for Jackson, as together they negotiated the biggest annual contract at that time.