Lamar Jackson Is A Leader On The Field. Mayor Scott Hopes He Can Fill A Similar Role Off It
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Baltimore Ravens enter their bye week 5-2 thanks in large part to the stellar play of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has so far accounted for 2,423 yards of total offense.
Asked earlier in the season why teams should never count out the Baltimore Ravens, wide receiver Marquise Brown responded simply, "Because we got Lamar Jackson."
Mayor Brandon Scott feels the same way, recalling the Ravens' miraculous comeback win against the Indianapolis Colts during an interview with The Undefeated.
"Everyone in the country felt there was no way the Ravens could win, but what happened? We had Lamar Jackson," Scott said. "He's able to, at the flick of the wrist, do things that no one else can do, see things that no one else can see, and bring us home."
Scott told William C. Rhoden, a writer-at-large for the ESPN-owned sports a culture site, he hopes Jackson can become more of a leader in the Baltimore community.
"The best way to use Lamar is to have him go out there, talk to these young brothers about how to handle themselves, how to treat themselves and each other better," Scott said. "How to resolve their conflicts in a different way. How to invest in themselves, take care of their bodies. That's the best way we can use our quarterback."
The mayor said young people can see themselves in Jackson, and the quarterback endears himself to the city with his attitude.
"He knows he's great, but he's humble. He says, 'Yes, ma'am, no, ma'am. Yes, sir, no, sir.' It's that humble, gritty, grimy, never-giving-up spirit that he has," he said. "That's why Baltimore loves him."
Jackson has tested positive twice for COVID-19 and declined to say publicly if he's gotten vaccinated. Critics of those actions may not understand that some people in the Black community are skeptical of the medical profession, Scott said, pointing to the famous local example of Henrietta Lacks, whose cancer cells were harvested at Johns Hopkins without her knowledge or consent.
Once it was discovered those HeLa cells could survive in a lab and rapidly reproduce, Hopkins distributed the cells around the world for scientific research.
The mayor also recalled growing up in Park Heights and hearing people say, "Don't stay out late at night, hospital's going to snatch you up."
Still, Jackson should get vaccinated "for all the reasons that we all know," said Scott, adding that he hopes Jackson's status doesn't hurt him during contract negotiations.
"I want Lamar to break the bank," he said. "Every time you have to miss a game, that takes millions off a contract that should break the record."