Lamar Jackson joined Kevin Hart in his interview series, “Cold as Balls.”
Finally, LOL Network’s season finale of “Cold as Balls” with Kevin Hart interviewing Lamar Jackson has released. Below are the highlights.
Kevin Hart: “Did you really have the [NFL] in your mind at that age?”
Lamar Jackson: “Yes. First grade. I was seven years old.”
KH: “Was quarterback always the position?”
LJ: “Yeah. Quarterback was always the position. Always my position. Back then, too.”
Jackson on his college decision and selecting Louisville over Florida.
“Louisville’s Head Coach Bobby Petrino, he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to get a chance to play, you’re going to get an opportunity, but you’re going to have to study your playbook,’ stuff like that. I’m like, ‘Alright.’ And when I got there, there was like six other quarterbacks, though.”
KH: “Were you a little pissed at that?”
LJ: “No doubt. I wasn’t thinking, like, ‘I’m going to be in competition with all these guys.’ And they were great quarterbacks. But, I ended up playing my freshman year and had a successful season.”
KH: “Let’s talk [NFL] Draft. They had you at 32. What the f***, man?”
LJ: “That’s what I was thinking at that time. This is what I’ve been waiting on. The opportunity here. So, when I go to the [NFL Scouting] Combine, they like, ‘Lamar, quarterback and receiver?’ I’m like, ‘What the hell? No.’ I’m just thinking he’s being funny. I don’t know who the hell he is, but he like, ‘No, seriously.’ I curse in my head, ‘Hell no. I’m not doing no f******… I’m playing quarterback.’”
Jackson on if he was nervous for his first NFL start…
“I wasn’t really nervous. Like, I had butterflies. Once I got tackled that one time, ‘Oh, this is easy. I love it.’”
On when Jackson recognized he could dominate at the same level as he did in college and high school.
“My sophomore season. First game of the season. We blew out the Dolphins. ‘Oh, this is easy.’”
On the most difficult adjustment in the NFL…
“Just being a leader. I’m going to say being a leader. Because I really don’t — I’m not really outspoken. Like, being vocal with my guys like, ‘Oh, lets do this and that,’ or got a great motivational speech. I don’t have that. I just pretty much lead by example. I go out there. I’m going to work hard. I expect that out of you. And as I’ve been growing in the league I’m like, no. You got to talk to the guys. Coaches and stuff like to tell, ‘You got to talk to the guys.’ Now I talk to them one-on-one about certain things I’m seeing. I’ve got to voice it more.”
On how close he feels he is to the Super Bowl…
“Extremely close. As I’ve been getting older in the league, like I said, our team, my mindset has been different and the game has gotten a lot easier for me.”
On his conversation with Mark Andrews after the dropped two-point conversion against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs…
“I talked to him. I went up to him and I’m like, ‘We all played a part in this game. I had my turnovers. We shouldn’t even be in this situation. I know you’ve been busting your ass all season despite what you’ve been through, we’re just going to have to bounce back. We can’t dwell on that s***.’”