LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Sometimes I look back on Lamar Jackson's time at Louisville and think "Did that really happen?"
Of all the things I've covered in sports, a Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Louisville is the most unlikely for a great many reasons. Yet, there it was. It happened. I was there in New York that night to witness it.
A story by Bruce Feldman for The Athletic this week brought a lot of those memories back to the surface. His summer project was to rank the 25 best college football players of the past 25 years. Where did Lamar Jackson land?
Feldman had him at No. 5 — behind only Joe Burrow, Ndamukong Suh, Reggie Bush and Cam Newton. I'd put Jackson ahead of Suh, but I can't argue much with the rest. They won national championships.
All of them were dominant. But only one of them turned every snap into a stage.
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Bozich & Crawford
While each was a great player, none could lift an ordinary down into the unforgettable quite like Jackson. Of all of them, he's the one you dared not look away from — lest he do something you'd never seen before.
We appreciated how great Jackson was while he was here. But he arrived like a lightning bolt — and it's hard to fully grasp something that moves that fast.
I was there when he threw the first pass of his freshman season. I watched him launch a national coming-out party in the Music City Bowl win over Texas A&M.
The next season, I saw the "Lamar Leap" in person, then watched him throw for 411 yards, run for 199 more and score four touchdowns. It was one of the most breathtaking college football performances I've ever seen — until the very next week, when he ran for four more scores in a 63-20 demolition of Florida State.
Everything accelerated after that:
- The Sports Illustrated cover (remember those?)
- The showdown at Clemson
- The improbable Heisman campaign
Back then, the edict at WDRB was: Get to every game. So we did — Virginia, Boston College, the loss at Houston. Then came the fumble against Kentucky. And finally, New York.
Mike Lacett and I made the trip for the Heisman ceremony. The whole time, I kept thinking Is this really happening?
It's still hard to believe Jackson came back for another season and harder still to believe that, even as the reigning Heisman winner, many still didn't take him seriously as a quarterback. But if you watched him every week, like we did here, you knew the truth — a truth that some of the NFL's greatest minds refused to accept.
His final college season wasn't disappointing because of him. His performances remained electric. The team just didn't measure up.
Still, covering Lamar Jackson remains one of the great privileges of my career. To witness greatness up close — to see Louisville become the epicenter of college football, even briefly — was something I never imagined I'd see here.
Feldman's list only confirms what we already knew: Those Lamar years weren't just thrilling. They were unforgettable — and you didn't dare look away.
Quick Sips
Louisville basketball added some frontcourt help Monday. Mouhamed Camara of Senegal has joined the team. He comes from the NBA Academy Africa, but right now, it's hard to get a clear read on what kind of impact he'll make. My story from Monday is here.
Sad news from horse racing. Larry Demeritte, the veteran trainer who brought West Saratoga — an $11,000 colt — to this year's Kentucky Derby, has died at age 75. He overcame cancer and inspired many with his joyful, steady presence. Look for more on his life and legacy later today at WDRB.com.
The Last Drop
"If I listened to people who told me what I can't do, I wouldn't be here."
— Larry Demeritte, two days before saddling West Saratoga in the 2024 Kentucky Derby
Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
