Lamar Jackson says he's working on being a more vocal leader

Lamar Jackson is a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, an elite passer and perhaps the best running quarterback ever. But there’s one thing he admits does not come naturally to him: Being a team leader.

Jackson told Kevin Hart that the toughest adjustment for him in becoming a franchise quarterback has been leadership, because he recognizes its importance but doesn’t feel that speaking out in front of the team is one of his natural gifts the way running and throwing are.

“Just being a leader. I’m going to say being a leader because I’m really not outspoken,” Jackson said when asked what has been hard for him to adjust to. “Being vocal with my guys, like ‘Let’s do this and that’ with a great motivational speech, I don’t have that. I just pretty much lead by example. I’m going to go out there, I’m going to work hard and I expect that out of you, but as I’ve been growing in the league it’s like ‘No, you got to talk to the guys.’ Coaches like to tell me, ‘You’ve got to talk to the guys.’ I’m like, all right, I’ll talk to them one-on-one. Certain things I’m seeing, I’ve got to voice it more, voice my opinion more to those guys.”

With a Super Bowl standing out as the one piece missing from Jackson’s Hall of Fame résumé, Jackson is determined to lead his team to a championship.