Long before two MVP awards and the constant Super Bowl chatter, Lamar Jackson was running read-options for a Florida high school team most of the country had never heard of. He went back there over the weekend, and the visit hit harder than most ceremonies do.
Boynton Beach High School retired Jackson’s No. 7 jersey on May 15, capping a homecoming weekend that included a new street sign reading Lamar Jackson Way, plus a 7 mph speed zone outside the school. The city of Boynton Beach also officially declared May 15 Lamar Jackson Day.
A clip making rounds Monday on X showed Jackson walking through the modest school weight room where he first started lifting as a teenager, a far cry from the NFL facilities he now trains in.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) looks on during warmups before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
What the homecoming reveals about Jackson’s grounding
Jackson spent his first two high school years at Santaluces Community High in Lantana before transferring to Boynton Beach as a junior. In two seasons with the Tigers, he threw for over 2,200 yards and 31 touchdowns and ran for 1,624 yards and 22 more scores. He was named the 2014 Lou Groza Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year.
Powerful: Ravens star QB Lamar Jackson visited his old high school to show off its ancient weight room.
Lamar really came from the bottom and achieved greatness.
🤯🤯🤯
(via @305Sportss) pic.twitter.com/yGWDYSlCXu
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 18, 2026
“It’s an honor to get this jersey retired. I wasn’t looking for this to happen. Most importantly, shout out to God and don’t let nobody tell you you can’t do it, and to the kids watching, I appreciate you all,” Jackson said at the ceremony.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
Dec 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) warms up prior to the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Tre Smith, the head football coach at Boynton Beach and a former teammate of Jackson’s, spoke at the event and described the moment as a symbol of “greatness” and “leadership.”
Former Tigers receiver Dieuly Aristilde, also in attendance, said Jackson “always saw it in himself, but the one thing about Lamar is he never made it about him.”
Jackson, who turned 29 in January, will begin his ninth NFL season this fall. The Ravens enter 2026 after another chaotic offseason of roster moves, with the franchise still chasing the Super Bowl trip his career has yet to produce.