Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has one noteworthy fan: President Donald Trump.
Last week, Trump retweeted a video of the 2018 NFL draft, at which Jackson was the 32nd pick.
The video shows Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, Jackson’s college teammate at Louisville,
excitedly jumping up and down celebrating Jackson’s selection.
The video was originally shared on Twitter by the NFL-affiliated The Checkdown before being retweeted by Jackson early Saturday morning.
Later that day, Trump commented on Twitter that it was “really nice to see” and that Jackson was a “great pick.” This year’s three-day NFL draft begins Thursday.
Jackson, 23, was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player last season, the second youngest player in history to earn the title. He threw for 3,127 yards and scored 36 touchdowns in the 2019-20 season.
Jackson retweeted Trump’s random shoutout with two words: “Truzz Trump.”
But many fans questioned the exchange, including fellow Ravens teammate Ronnie Stanley.
Jackson clarified his comments at a video conference with reporters Tuesday. “I saw him making a statement about me being a great pick, my teammate congratulating me and stuff like that,” Jack told USA Today. “I was just like: ‘Appreciate that. Truss.’”
Jackson said he wasn’t making a political statement “or anything like that.”
“I was just, like I said, just agreeing to what he was saying about me and my teammate,” Jackson said. “That’s all.”