Ten years ago, Lamar Jackson leaped over a defender and into the national spotlight. His hurdle of Cordell Hudson on a Friday night at Syracuse became his Heisman Trophy moment. The Louisville quarterback landed on his feet and scored, but he had no idea the highlight-reel play would become a viral sensation. Today, the play is memorialized inside the Cardinals' football facility, where a mannequin wearing a No. 8 Jackson jersey is posed midair.
"I looked at it like another play," Jackson told ESPN. "I really didn't think too much of it." He also revealed, for the first time, that he had leg cramps on the play. His teammates were impressed but not surprised. Wide receiver Traveon Samuel recalled that Jackson's very first scrimmage ended with a teammate re-tearing his ACL, and that he never went live again after that.
Jackson opened the 2016 season with a school-record eight total touchdowns and 405 total yards in a 70-14 rout of Charlotte. The following week, on Sept. 9 at Syracuse, playing on national television, he entered the national conversation. With Louisville first-and-goal at the 9-yard line and up 28-7 before halftime, Jackson pulled the ball on an inside zone read. Cornerback Jamari Staples's assignment was free, and Jackson found himself one-on-one with the end. Wide receiver Jamari Staples said he thought Jackson would hand the ball off, but Jackson took flight and jumped straight over the defender.
Center Tobijah Hughley described it as a slow-motion moment. "It was almost like he was stepping up on a ladder and just kept on rising vertically over this guy," he said. Hughley called finishing the play in the end zone something truly special. As Louisville prepares to play at Syracuse this Saturday, ESPN spoke with players and coaches who were on the field for their view of the leap a decade later.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing