Former Boynton Beach QB Lamar Jackson wins Palm Beach County’s first Heisman Trophy

Boynton Beach High School now can boast that it is the home of a Heisman Trophy winner.

Lamar Jackson, two years removed from starring on the fields on Boynton’s campus and now the Louisville Cardinals’ quarterback, won the Heisman on Saturday night at the award presentation in New York, becoming the first Palm Beach County player to ever win the award. The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the nation’s top college football player every season.

“After tonight … the city of Boynton Beach, Boynton Beach High School, it’s going to be a different place,” Boynton Beach High football coach Errick Lowe said. “We have a Heisman Trophy winner by the name of Lamar Jackson. So it can be done anywhere and everywhere, but it was done this year at Boynton Beach High School.”

Jackson finished with a total of 2,144 points, 620 points ahead of the runner-up, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. Jackson’s win was the sixth largest in Heisman history by percentage of possible points received.

Jackson, wearing a red velvet blazer with shiny black lapels, said he could feel his heart pounding in his chest right before his name was announced, and he barely held it together while giving his speech with the former Heisman winners standing behind him on stage.

“I almost cried,” Jackson said. “I never get emotional, but to have my name called and see all those great players …”

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield finished third with 361 points, Oklahoma wide receiver Dede Westbrook finished fourth with 209 points and Michigan athlete Jabrill Peppers finished fifth with 208 points.

Jackson is only the fourth sophomore and sixth underclassman to ever win the Heisman. He is also the youngest Heisman winner at 19 years, 352 days.

“A bunch of grown men over there in tears,” Boynton Beach High athletic director Evan Caruso said. “We’re so proud of him, we’re so happy that he’s just excelled at this level.

“It was inevitable, we thought it was a no doubt, but you never know with these award shows.”

Boynton Beach High School hosted a watch party at Buffalo Wild Wings on Congress Avenue so the community could gather and watch the Heisman ceremony. About 35 people attended, filling the restaurant with loud cheers when Jackson was announced as the winner.

“That was the big thing (about watching at the restaurant),” Lowe said. “Anyone can come and enjoy each other, enjoy the atmosphere of watching it here and also enjoy some good food.”

Jackson’s award was well-deserved, as he finished the regular season with 3,390 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns. He ran for an additional 1,538 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 51 total scores are more than 89 out of 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams managed.

“Just spectacular, amazing,” Lowe said. “He pretty much did it all year. (He) had a couple hiccups here late in the season, but for the most part, he carried the team.”

Before Jackson moved north to Louisville, he dazzled Palm Beach County football fans. His arm and legs led to impressive highlights that drew national recruiting attention; Jackson, rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, chose Louisville over Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Miami and others.

While at Boynton Beach, Jackson was a Palm Beach Post Super 11 pick in 2014. He earned the No. 2 spot on the PBGametime Big Board of top senior prospects in Palm Beach County, behind only Palm Beach Gardens’ Tevon Coney, who currently plays for Notre Dame. After the season, he was a first-team All-Area selection and won the Lou Groza Award’s High School Player of the Year.

“Watching him in person, growing up through high school, it was a sight to see,” Caruso said. “He was amazing on so many levels.”

Caruso took over as athletic director at Boynton Beach High during Jackson’s senior year, replacing Jackson’s last high school head coach, Rick Swain, around the time Jackson’s recruiting profile started growing. He said many of the teams who tried to recruit Jackson wanted him to either wait to play or be considered an athlete — a player who plays multiple positions.

Jackson spurned those offers and chose to play for coach Bobby Petrino at Louisville, where he could be assured a quarterback spot and play in Petrino’s well-known, high-scoring offense.

“A lot of the schools were looking at him more along the lines of an athlete,” Caruso said. “And when they labeled him an athlete, he really took offense to that. I don’t blame him. He was a natural-born quarterback.

“At the end of the day … I’m sure everyone could have used a Lamar Jackson on their team.”

Now, Caruso watches Jackson on television and takes pride in seeing the former Tiger play on some of college football’s biggest stages. The Cardinals were ranked as high as fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings and will play Louisiana State University in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 31.

“There’s nothing cooler than that,” Caruso said. “I love sports, and to sit on Sunday or Saturday night and watch him come across the screen, or even on SportsCenter, it’s humbling. We’re just happy for him.”

Caruso said the school plans on retiring Jackson’s number and possibly naming a street near the school after him.

Despite all the athletic exploits that made Jackson the top player in college football, Caruso said the biggest thing Jackson brought to his alma mater was the example he set, on and off the field. He said Jackson showed the students at Boynton Beach High — athletes and non-athletes — what they could accomplish.

“The kids, they’ll throw a pass in P.E. class,” Caruso said, “and yell Lamar’s name as they throw it.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Former Boynton Beach QB Lamar Jackson wins Palm Beach County’s first Heisman Trophy