Louisville's No. 8 will always belong to Lamar Jackson.
The school announced Saturday morning that it is retiring the former Heisman Trophy winner's number, which means no other player will ever be allowed to wear it at Louisville.
Louisville has only retired two jerseys in its long and storied history – Johnny Unitas' No. 16 and Jackson's No. 8.
Jackson found out about it as a surprise after Friday's practice.
It's the second honor Louisville has bestowed upon Jackson in recent months. In August, Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra announced that a Jackson statue will be erected in front of Cardinal Stadium, right next to Unitas'.
Jackson was a monster in college, winning the Heisman Trophy after a sophomore season in which he posted 3,543 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 1,571 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns.
Still, he wasn't drafted until the last pick in the first round in 2018, when the Ravens traded up to grab the dynamic threat, who eventually changed their entire offense.
Jackson has gone on to become an even bigger star in the NFL, unanimously winning the league's MVP award after his second season. This year, he's reached another level with his improved passing. Jackson has the most total yards in the NFL (1,860) and is fifth in passing yards (1,519).
What's most important to Jackson is winning, and he has more regular-season victories (34) than any starting quarterback in the NFL since he became the Ravens' starter in Week 11 of 2018.
