Who Is Lamar Jackson’s Mom? All About Felicia Jones

Felicia Jones isn’t just Lamar Jackson‘s mother. She’s also his manager.

In 1997, Felicia and Lamar Jackson Sr. welcomed the first of their four children in Pompano Beach, Fla. She became a single mom eight years later when Jackson’s father died — but according to the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, she never complained or asked for help.

Instead, she took care of everything on her own, waking up early to go to work and coming home late to provide for the family. Seeing how hard his mom worked as a single parent, the NFL star said he was inspired to push himself and never give up.

“If she can do that, I can do anything,” he once said at a May 2023 press conference, adding, “This woman’s a superhero to me.”

Her influence extended well beyond her work ethic and parenting duties. In fact, Jones was his first football coach, and after being drafted into the NFL in 2018, Jackson opted not to hire an agent or manager, instead trusting his mom to continue guiding his career.

Here’s everything to know about Lamar Jackson’s mom, Felicia Jones, and her relationship with the athlete.

She was a single mom to four kids

Born in 1997, Lamar Jackson Jr. was the first of his parents’ four kids. He has three younger siblings, including a brother, Jamar, and two sisters, whose names have not been made public.

The family lived together until 2005, when Jackson’s father died of a heart attack. That same day, his grandmother died too, leaving Jones a single mother of four.  

At a press conference in May 2023, Jackson praised his mom’s strength. “She’s a huge influence on my life, just by raising four of us,” he told reporters.

“Just [seeing] how she [would] grind and work without complaining … not wanting me to get a job, telling me to focus on football and she’s going to take care of everything else. Seeing that, I was like, ‘If she can do that, I can do anything,’ ” he added, before calling her a “superhero.”

He called her his “best coach”

In 2016, Jackson wrote an essay for The Players’ Tribune, detailing his rise to the NFL. Specifically, he talked about how he was able to grow into a better player, crediting his mother for much of his game.

“A lot of people helped me get better when I was young, but the best coach I’ve ever had was also my first one: Mom,” he wrote. “And I’m not saying that just because she looked out for me and encouraged me to pursue football and all that stuff. I mean she actually made me grind to get better.”

To help him build his endurance, he and his mom would run together every day, regardless of the weather. “I’ve never played in a football game that was more tiring than those long runs on that bridge,” he explained.

After running, his mom would have him practice in the backyard — even going so far as to run drills with him. “She knew what she was doing,” he wrote. “She had a vision for my football career even before I did.”

She was a college athlete

During their backyard drills, Jones wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty either. She would regularly practice drills and do the workouts alongside her sons. What’s more, as a former college basketball player, she could keep up with them.

“People don’t believe me,” Jackson once told ESPN. “She was an athlete. She used to play basketball. She saw what we were able to do, and she’d go back there and play football with us. She was just making us tougher because she’s older, so she’s bringing power that we’re not used to feeling. We didn’t take it like anything different.”

She’s acted as his manager

Since joining the NFL, Jackson has represented himself. However, he doesn’t have to negotiate alone. Instead, Jones acts as his adviser and manager.

And while many in the sports world were quick to criticize the quarterback for not having an agent, it’s a decision that seems to have paid off big time.

In May 2023, Jackson re-signed with the Ravens, agreeing to a five-year, $260 million contract. The deal, negotiated by his mom, made the quarterback the highest-paid NFL player at the time. It also allowed him the chance to get closer to his ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl in the place where he started.

“I’d just rather finish it here,” he told PEOPLE of his decision to stay in Baltimore. “Win my Super Bowl here, like I said, and sky’s the limit, and we’ll see what else goes on.”

She and Jackson have a close relationship

Jackson has a close relationship with his mom and isn’t afraid to admit it. “My immediate family is my mom. Everything goes around her. I’m a mama’s boy,” he told The Courier-Journal. “She’s the one who keeps me motivated no matter what. She’s driving me.”

“Whenever you need someone to lean back on, to talk to, she’s there,” he continued. “She motivates me to go out there and compete.”

He spent his first paycheck on a house for her

After being drafted to the NFL in 2018, Jackson spoke about the perks of joining the Ravens. When asked about the best part of becoming a professional football player, he responded, “You get to buy your parents a home.”

That same year, he made good on his promise, spending his first NFL paycheck on a new house for him, his brother and his mom to live in.

She stays out of the spotlight

Her son might make headlines, but Jones prefers to keep her life private.

“I have the type of mother that sits back and lets everything happen for you, lets you have the spotlight,” Jackson told The Courier-Journal in 2016.

“She’s always been like that,” he added. “She doesn’t really feel like she needs to be out here talking. It’s me, it’s about me playing football. So, she doesn’t feel like she needs to be a part of that right now.”