Steve Jones

Courier Journal

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Last year, Lamar Jackson came to the ACC Kickoff as a budding young star and the emerging face of the University of Louisville football program, drawing positive reviews for his affability and humility during his first featured appearance at a major media event.

On Thursday, he returned to the ACC media days as the Heisman Trophy winner and the clear-cut star player of this conference if not all of college football. He answered an hour's worth of questions from a flock of reporters who were usually lined three-deep around his microphone table.

But even though Jackson is no stranger at this point to accolades, big crowds and media attention and even as he came to Charlotte this year sporting a sharp new look — buzzed hair, a smile without the braces he's had since high school and a broader, bulked-up upper body after an offseason of weightlifting — his appearance Thursday was a pleasant reminder that Jackson hasn't changed all that much.

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He represented his school, his team and his sport well once again by displaying the same kind of affability and humility that he routinely did last year when he wasn't nearly as famous or as lauded.

"I wouldn't say I'm famous," Jackson said Thursday, drawing laughter and incredulous responses from the reporters around him.

But Jackson sounded very sincere.

"You know, see, when I look at it," Jackson said, "I had this award, and it's just an accomplishment and a goal you reach, but I don't really try to dwell on it (in a bragging way) like, 'Oh, I'm Lamar Jackson.' That's not the type of person I am."

Jackson's appearance at the downtown Westin was reminiscent of his media session in New York before the Heisman Trophy victory. Though he was the odds-on favorite and could have spent the weekend in New York basking in that and calling himself the best player in the country, he instead never acknowledged that he was the favorite. When his name was announced as the winner, he looked like the only surprised person in the room. He then gave a heartfelt thank-you speech.

"His humility speaks volumes," U of L cornerback Jaire Alexander said. "... For him to win the Heisman and have a really good season like he did last year (is impressive). To be able to interact with the teammates and other people like he didn't win it (is impressive). Like if you never watched football, you wouldn't even know he won the Heisman. He's real humble. He works hard on and off the field."

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Petrino praised Jackson for logging the most community service hours of any player on U of L's team. He said visiting children elementary schools and community centers are among his favorite ways to volunteer.

Jackson has had no known controversy or negative issues off the field since he's been at Louisville, and he said he purposefully tries to avoid them now that people around town recognize him.

"If you're around the wrong crowd, people are going to (notice you and) single you out and you're going to be (viewed as) wrong regardless," Jackson said, "so I stay away from the negativity and the bad things and bad environments. I try to stay in my room."

Who's given him that advice?

"Myself," the 20-year-old said with a smile. "I'm old enough now and mature and know right from wrong."

The most common question Jackson received at ACC Kickoff was what he would do for an encore to a Heisman season in which he tallied more than 5,000 total yards and 51 total touchdowns.

"You know, start off with giving my all," he said. "We start with Purdue, and each and every game, just going to go out there to try to get a victory. I'm trying to win more games than last year, and the biggest goal is the national championship."

Becoming only the second repeat Heisman winner isn't a goal at the top of Jackson's mind.

"I wasn't trying to win it last year. It just happened," he said. "My teammates helped me out. My coaches helped me out. I'm just blessed, and I'm humbled."

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Petrino said one of the things he likes most about Jackson is how he embraces coaching and practice. For Jackson to take the next step as a player, Petrino has been working on developing his overall quarterback skills and focusing little on his own running, especially out of the shotgun.

Petrino said much of Jackson's time has been spent trying to better read defenses, especially safety rotations, and to understanding his progression reads in the passing game. The coach said Jackson's passing accuracy, which ranked only 10th in the ACC last year (56.2 percent), improves drastically when he throws from a set position with his back leg straight in line with his hip.

When he does that, "he can zip it and be accurate and throw the ball as good as anybody I've been around," Petrino said.

Alexander said he's noticed considerable improvement in Jackson's accuracy since last season.

"He puts a zip on the ball that I might not even want to pick off sometimes," Alexander said.

Jackson said again that he is grateful for Petrino for helping him develop some NFL-style skills during the spring — working from under center and practicing almost none as a runner — but that it doesn't mean Jackson's mind is on anything but the upcoming Louisville season. And with two years of eligibility left, he said again that he has given no consideration to 2017 potentially being his final year of college ball.

When asked about some of the criticism he's received that his game isn't cut out for the next level, Jackson felt no need to make a defense, instead just acknowledging, "I'm not there yet. You can't tell the future."

Though Jackson did have some struggles at the end of the last year, including a four-turnover game against Kentucky and a no-touchdown game against LSU, he did reveal Thursday that he was slowed in those games by a painful case of turf toe and that was the reason a UK defender caught him from behind on one play in that loss.

Petrino made sure to remind reporters that although he wants Jackson to develop as a complete quarterback, U of L has no plans to ignore the running brilliance that made Jackson the Heisman winner.

The coach invoked the longtime motto of the U of L rushing attack: “FTS,” or “feed the studs.”

“Obviously Lamar is one of our studs,” Petrino said, “so don't think that we're not going to call quarterback run plays or zone-read plays or option plays, because we're going to give him his opportunities to make big plays and his opportunities to handle things that he did so well last year.”

As a public figure, Jackson keeps handling things well, too.