“Anytime somebody tells me I can’t do something, I’m going to do it” – Jackson on speculation he’d change positions entering the NFL Draft
“It’s just his poise in the pocket. He just looks like he’s so relaxed, like he’s on vacation. He just picks defenses apart, and I want to be on that level.” – Jackson on Tom Brady
“Lamar Jackson is truly one of the most exciting young players to come into the league in some time.” – SNF Analyst Cris Collinsworth
“Quarterbacks with this type of skill, they can change the game of football, no question.” – FNIA Analyst Tony Dungy on Jackson
Jackson’s Interview with Tirico Airs on Football Night in America Beginning Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC; Ravens-Patriots SNF Kickoff at 8:20 P.M. ET on NBC
STAMFORD, Conn. – Nov. 1, 2019 – Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson speaks with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico on Football Night in America ahead of the Ravens’ Week 9 matchup with the undefeated New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football on NBC.
The interview can be heard now on The Mike Tirico Podcast and will air on this week’s edition of Football Night in America, which begins Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. An extended version of the interview is available now on NBC Sports’ YouTube channel here.
Earlier in the week, NBC Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth and Football Night in America analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison participated in a media conference call to preview this week’s Patriots-Ravens matchup.
Below are excerpts from Tirico’s interview with Jackson. If used, please note the mandatory credit: “In an exclusive interview airing on Football Night in America.”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM TIRICO’S INTERVIEW WITH JACKSON
Tirico: “You’re pushed everywhere you went, Louisville, the NFL Scouting Combine, other colleges recruiting you…‘Hey, do you ever think about returning punts, do you ever think about being a running back, ever think about being a wide receiver?’ Why wouldn’t you change?”Jackson: “Because I’m a quarterback. That’s all I played…I always knew how to throw for some reason…Anytime somebody tells me I can’t do something, I’m going to do it.”
Tirico: “What did it mean when the Ravens told you, ‘We want you as a quarterback?’”
Jackson: “I told them they’re going to get everything out of me. We’re going to win a Super Bowl.”
Tirico: “What is it about Tom Brady that you see that you love?”
Jackson: “It’s just his poise in the pocket. He just looks like he’s so relaxed, like he’s on vacation. He just picks defenses apart and I want to be on that level. I admire that.”
Tirico: “What’s it going to be like to go up against (Brady) for the first time?”
Jackson: “It’s going to be pretty cool after the game, but you know before the game I’m trying to win. I’m focused on winning, I’m not focused on Brady. I’m focused on winning and going 6-2.”
Tirico: “What do you like about Aaron Rodgers?”
Jackson: “He’s just so advanced. He’s an athlete. He can move, he’ll make guys miss. It’s very dope just watching him play. He’s been doing it for a long time, not as long as Brady, but he’s been doing it quite a long time…He looks like he’s in his prime, so it’s pretty dope watching him still play.”
Tirico: “Did you say this year you hate to run? You’re 10th in the league in rushing!”
Jackson: “Not necessarily like I hate running…but just to take off, and I’m going to take the game into my hands, and I’m going to run. No, I’m not going to do that. I’ll throw the ball, but sometimes it’s not open so I just run. People just get so caught up in how dynamic I run, like how I make my runs, and I make statements when I run, but I throw the ball too.”
Tirico: “A lot of people if they want to make comparisons to you, they’re going to say, ‘Michael Vick did this and Randall Cunningham did this.’ Would you rather comparisons to those guys or comparisons to (Drew) Brees and Brady?”
Jackson: “It really doesn’t matter. I’m myself. I’m none of those guys…They’ve had all types of success, but I’m my own guy, and I’m just starting. I haven’t done anything yet…I just need to keep winning.”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CONFERENCE CALL
Collinsworth on Lamar Jackson: “Lamar Jackson is truly one of the most exciting young players to come into the league in some time. Some of the plays that I’ve seen him make this year getting ready for this game are breathtaking. His ability to escape is the first thing that grabs your attention, but I think the second thing is that he’s really a pocket passer, that he really wants to win the game from the pocket, and he runs when he has to.”
Dungy on Jackson: “Now, the question is how long can Lamar Jackson do this? Robert Griffin III did it for about 13 games (before getting injured). So, we’ll see. But quarterbacks with this type of skill, they can change the game of football, no question.”
Harrison on the prolonged success of the Patriots: “It’s unselfishness. It’s preparation. It’s working hard. It’s doing your job. It’s the same type of thing. So no matter if it was 2003, when we won, when I won my first Super Bowl, or if it’s 2019 … the principles are the same, the fundamentals are the same.”
Collinsworth on Sunday’s game: “It’s a matchup of contrasting styles, to say the least. I don’t know if we’ve ever seen Tom Brady matched up against a Lamar Jackson-type player, maybe Mike Vick at one point.”
Dungy on how to scheme against a quarterback like Jackson: “As a defensive coach, I always fear that type of guy…To account for him, you have to change everything around, and you can’t play certain coverages. You have to play man to man. You can’t let the quarterback scramble. That puts a lot of pressure on you.”
–FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA–