Forrest Lamp

Forrest Lamp's Biography

Forrest Noah Lamp, referred to familiarly as Forrest Lamp, was born on the 20th day of February in 1994. Lamp’s passion lies within the game of American football, particularly at the guard position, and currently seeks opportunities as a free agent.

Born and brought up in Venice, Florida, Lamp had a keen interest in football since his early days at Venice High School. Not restricting himself to any one position, Lamp showcased his versatility on the field by playing both offensive and defensive line. Witnessing his remarkable skill and determination, Western Kentucky University offered him an opportunity to play college football, and he wholeheartedly committed.

Arriving at Western Kentucky in 2012, Lamp was subjected to a redshirt in his first year before finding his place on the field. He began as the starting right guard. However, his adaptability saw him shift to the left tackle position for the final nine games of the season. From then on, Lamp held pretty firm on his starting left tackle position, making a total of 51 starts in his college career.

Aside from his performance on the field, Lamp’s positive demeanor and dedication saw him receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Although an ankle injury kept him from playing in the game, his strong performance in the practice sessions leading up to it made the NFL fraternities sit up and take notice. Despite his collegiate career being as an offensive tackle, many teams speculated a shift to guard due to his shorter arm length. Present at the NFL Combine, Lamp completed all the combine drills with relative ease.

At Western Kentucky’s Pro Day, Lamp preferred to focus on running positional drills, relying on his previous combine performance. His consistent hard work and performance did not go unnoticed, with experts and analysts projecting his selection in the first round of the NFL draft. NFLDraftScout.com and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the top guard, while ESPN assigned him the title of the top offensive lineman. Further, NFL media analysts Mike Mayock and Bucky Brooks regarded him as the superior interior offensive lineman. He was also listed as the third-best offensive tackle by Sports Illustrated.

In the 2017 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Chargers selected Lamp during the second round, rendering him the first offensive guard drafted that year. To seal the deal, on May 11, the Chargers offered Lamp a four-year contract worth $6.66 million with a guaranteed payment of $3.75 million, alongside a signing bonus of $2.98 million.

However, Lamp’s auspicious start was interrupted by an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in August 2017 while at training camp, ruling him out for his entire rookie season. After being officially placed on injured reserve on September 2, Lamp underwent a minor knee procedure in May the following year. Despite starting the 2018 season as a backup guard, Lamp only managed to participate in two games.

With hopes high for the 2019 season, it proved to be a short-lived run as Lamp suffered a broken fibula after playing only seven games with two starts. The 2020 season proved far more fruitful, with Lamp starting all 16 games as the left guard for Los Angeles Chargers and led the league with a total of 1,174 snaps.

April 15, 2021, marked a new chapter in his career when Lamp signed with the Buffalo Bills. However, injury struck again, and he was placed on injured reserve in August before being released two days later. Part of his redemption journey included being signed to the practice squad of the New Orleans Saints on October 19th, 2021. In anticipation of a promising year, he re-signed with the Saints on April 1, 2022. Yet adversity struck again, with an injury leading to another injured reserve placement in August, followed by his release in October.

Forrest Lamp’s story portrays the life of a resilient athlete who displays an electric performance on the field when fit. Amidst ups and downs, Forrest Lamp’s journey continues in American football, where he continually progresses and evolves in his career.