Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson has just become only the second player in history to be unanimously voted as Most Valuable Player of the National Football League.
The first was Tom Brady of the New England Patriots in 2010.
Jackson received the big award on Saturday during the NFL’s end-of-season Hall of Fame awards. The recognition comes in only Jackson’s second season and his first as a full-time starter, the New York Daily News reports.
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The short record of the 22-year-old Baltimore quarterback has been memorable.
He dominated most defenses he came up against in the last year, amounting to more than 3,100 passing yards, 36 passing touchdowns, 1,206 rushing yards, and seven rushing touchdowns, the News reported. He’s had 43 total touchdowns, according to the News.
The recognition comes two years after many doubted Jackson’s abilities in events leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft.
“It feels good when you can make those people eat their words,” ESPN quoted Jackson as saying Saturday.
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The unanimous vote is not the only milestone Jackson his this weekend. He now joins former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as the only players to take home the MVP award and the coveted Heisman Trophy, the News reported.
Jackson also became only the third-youngest player to win the award, ESPN reported. Only running back Jim Brown, honored as MVP in 1957 and 1958, was younger, according to the sports news organization.
Despite 21 months of plays that saw sports journalists regularly raving, Jackson expressed humility at his accomplishment.
“I’m still young,” he said. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do. I’m not really trying to dwell on what I just did. If I win a Super Bowl, you’ll probably see a lot more emotion.”
Jackson is the first player for the Ravens to win the MVP award, and the only Baltimore player in 16 years to receive a single vote, ESPN reported.
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