Jake Locker
Encyclopedia
Jacob Cooper "Jake" Locker (born June 15, 1988) is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 selected by the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

 of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 in the 2011 Draft. He played his college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 for the University of Washington Huskies.

Early years

In 2005, he led Ferndale High School to a 14–0 record and a state title, throwing for 1,603 yards and 25 touchdown passes for the season with only 3 interceptions. Locker was an excellent running quarterback, as he also rushed for 1,339 yards and 24 touchdowns during his senior year. Locker earned First-team All-America honors from Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...

. He was also named the 3A state player of the year by the AP and Seattle Times, and earned First-team All-state honors from both organizations. In the 2005 Washington 3A state title game, Locker had four touchdowns and 272 total yards in a 47–12 win over Prosser High School
Prosser High School
Prosser High School is a school in Prosser, Washington. It is the main high school in the Prosser School District, though there is also an alternative Prosser Falls Education Center. The school has around 920 students attending in grades 9 through 12...

.

He helped Ferndale to a No. 12 ranking in USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

's
final West Region rankings, and a No. 12 ranking in MaxPreps.com's final national rankings. He was one of four Seattle Times "Blue Chip" recruits, ranked No. 5 nationally at QB, and No. 1 in the West, by PrepStar. Locker also ranked 85th in Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...

's National "Hot 100" and ranked 68th overall and fourth among "dual-threat" quarterbacks in Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...

's national rankings. As a junior, he threw for 1,314 yards and 16 TDs and rushed for 987 yards and 15 TDs. Locker led Ferndale to a 13–2 record and a Washington 3A state runner-up finish in 2004, and was selected First-team All-state by the AP. As a sophomore, he threw for 713 yards with nine TDs, while running for 478 yards and three scores. In addition to quarterback, Locker played four years as a defensive back at Ferndale and was the first freshman ever to start in coach Vic Randall's 21-year career. Locker was also a standout baseball pitcher and outfielder.

College career

On July 31, 2005, Jake Locker committed to the Washington Huskies football
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...

 team. Husky fans quickly dubbed him Montlake Jake and was expected to be the dismal program's savior. In 2006, Locker won UW's Pepsi Player of the Week Award for his work on the service team after the Fresno State, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

 and Washington State
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...

 games. He made the travel squad for every game, and suited up for all 12, but didn't see any game action. During this time Locker quarterbacked the UW service team. Locker in 2007, was named the Rivals.com Freshman of the Week following his two rushing TD performance in the opener at Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...

. He carried the ball 10 times for 83 yards and went 14-for-19 passing for 142 yards. He was named the SIonCampus.com Player of the Week after leading the Huskies to a 24–10 win over then 20th-ranked Boise State, snapping the Broncos' 14-game win streak. During a loss to Arizona, he became the 19th player in college football to pass for 300 yards, and run for 100. Locker was handed the starting quarterback position prior to the start of spring drills and emerged from pre-season drills as the team's starter.

On November 10, 2007, Locker was injured during a game against Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...

, and was removed from the field by an ambulance and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital
Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center (Oregon)
Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center is a 188-bed medical facility located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. It is one of four level II trauma centers in the state of Oregon, and serves the Linn, Benton, and Lincoln County area....

 in Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....

, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. He was able to return to the stadium in the fourth quarter to watch the end of the game, though he was wearing a neck brace.

Locker was named to the Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...

 2007 Freshman Second-team All-America and was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. In 2007, he set UW records for rushing yards in a season by a freshman (986), rushing yards in a season by a quarterback (986, which is also a PAC-10 record), rushing attempts by a quarterback (172), passing yards by a freshman (2,062), touchdown passes by a freshman (14) and longest pass completion (98 yards to Marcel Reece vs. Arizona).

During summer of 2008, Locker played outfield for the Bellingham Bells
Bellingham Bells
The Bellingham Bells are a collegiate summer baseball team in the West Coast League. The Bellingham Bells strive to provide their fans, sponsors, and partners with the very best in competitive baseball and affordable entertainment in a family-friendly atmosphere.The team is composed of college...

 of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League, where he was named by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...

 as the league's top prospect.

On the 4th day of practice going into the 2008 season, Jake Locker partially tore his hamstring. He resumed full practices on August 18, 2008.

In the Huskies' second game of the 2008 season against Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...

, with the Huskies trailing 28—21, Locker scored a rushing touchdown with two seconds remaining to bring the score to 28—27. After tumbling into the end zone, Locker threw the ball up into the air and was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. This backed the point after touchdown kick, which was to tie the game and in all likelihood send it to overtime, from the 3 yard line to the 18 yard line. The kick was blocked and UW lost the game by that 28—27 margin. The call was seen as controversial, in that it followed the letter of the rule dictating that players who score a touchdown must hand the ball over to officials in an orderly fashion but some believe violated its spirit, because Locker's act of throwing the ball was simply an emotional reaction to a big play and not an attempt to taunt his opponents or delay the game. Locker later apologized for incurring the penalty. The Huskies finished 0–12 in the 2008 season.

On September 19, 2009, Locker led the unranked Washington Huskies to a 16–13 victory over the 3rd ranked USC Trojans. Late in the 4th quarter, Locker engineered a 68 yard drive, with the game tied at 13–13, that ended with a 22 yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining that put the Huskies up 16–13. The win allowed the Huskies to move to 24th in the AP poll; this was the first time they had been ranked since the 2003 season. Locker and the Huskies would go on to have an up and down season, finishing with a 5–7 record highlighted by a 42–10 blowout win of No. 19 California to close the season. On Dec. 14, 2009, Locker released a press release through the Washington athletic department indicating his decision to remain in school and play his senior year at Washington, rather than turn pro.

For his performance in 2009, Jake Locker was named Male Sports Star of the Year in the 75th annual Seattle Sports Star of the Year awards. In 2010, Locker was a finalist for The Premier Player of College Football Trophy that's awarded based on the votes of fans.

Locker closed out his college career with a 19–7 win over heavily favored Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...

 in the 2010 Holiday Bowl
2010 Holiday Bowl
The 2010 Holiday Bowl was the thirty-third edition of the college football bowl game and was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game started at 7:00 PM US PST on Thursday, December 30, 2010 and matched the Nebraska Cornhuskers against the Washington Huskies. The game was...

 despite completing only 5 of 16 passes in the game. This atoned for a 56–21 loss to the Cornhuskers in Seattle earlier in the season, a game in which Locker was criticized for his 4–20 performance with 2 interceptions.

College stats

Year Team Attempts Completions Completion % Yards TDs INT
2006
2006 Washington Huskies football team
The 2006 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's coach is former Notre Dame and Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham. It played its home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington.-Background:In 2004 the...

Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 
Redshirt
2007
2007 Washington Huskies football team
The 2007 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach was Tyrone Willingham. It played its home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington, USA....

Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 
328 155 47.3% 2,062 14 15
2008
2008 Washington Huskies football team
The 2008 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach was Tyrone Willingham. The Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington...

Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 
93 50 53.8% 512 1 0
2009
2009 Washington Huskies football team
The 2009 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the college football season of 2009-2010. The team's head coach was Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington...

Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 
395 230 58.4% 2,800 21 11
2010
2010 Washington Huskies football team
The 2010 Washington Huskies football team represented the University of Washington in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies played their home games at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington, and were members of the Pacific 10 Conference...

Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 
332 184 55.4% 2,265 17 9
College Totals 1,148 619 53.9% 7,639 53 35

2011 NFL Draft

With one year of eligibility remaining at Washington, Locker was considered to be a top prospect in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...

 by many internet mock drafts, with some analysts ranking him in the top three available quarterbacks. On December 14, 2009, ESPN's College Football Live reported that Locker would return for his senior season. Analyst Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit is an Emmy Award-winning analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC. He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football. He was a quarterback on...

 said that he had confirmed this in a conversation with Locker, and Adam Schefter also confirmed it.

Schefter posted on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 page that an anonymous NFL GM, in speaking with ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen
Chris Mortensen
Chris "Mort" Mortensen , an award-winning journalist, provides reports for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com...

, told Mortensen that Locker is "a bigger, taller, right-handed version of Steve Young."

Prior to Locker's announcement declaring his intention to stay for his senior season, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay
Todd McShay
Todd McShay is a football analyst.McShay is a native of Swampscott, Massachusetts and played quarterback for the Swampscott High School football team . In 1999, He graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.A. in leadership studies, and served as the backup quarterback before a back...

 had projected Locker as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. But there was also some controversy and complete disagreement in most circles with McShay's assessment—it had been reported that Locker was advised by the NFL Collegiate Advisory Committee that he would not have received a "1st round grade".

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper, Jr.
Mel Kiper, Jr.
Mel Kiper Jr. in Baltimore, Maryland is an American football analyst for the ESPN television channel. He has served as an analyst for ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984, providing in-depth information on the nation's potential draft picks.-Career:With the emergence of ESPN2 and ESPN.com,...

 predicted before and after the 2010 NFL Draft that Locker would be the No. 1 overall pick in 2011.

ESPN analyst John Clayton stated in October of Locker's disappointing senior campaign that the right-hander may fall to the 2nd or 3rd round in the 2011 draft due to his inaccuracy and poor play.
Locker was selected with the 8th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...

 by the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...

. On July 29, He signed a 4 year contract worth a reported $12 million.

Personal

Jake's father, Scott, and three uncles (Mike, Pat, & John) starred at Ferndale High School and went on to play at Western Washington University
Western Washington University
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, four-year universities of higher education in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham and offers bachelor's and master's degrees.-History:...

. Scott Locker worked taping drywall, and Jake Locker's grandfather Hugh Locker worked at a pulp mill for 37 years; neither graduated from college. His uncle Pat Locker, a running back for WWU (1976–79), was named the Western football player of the century. Pat Locker was the first player in northwest collegiate history and 37th player in the history of college football to reach the 4,000-yard mark in career rushing (4049). Jake has two sisters, Alyssa and Erika. His cousin Casey is currently a safety on the Washington State Cougars
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...

 football team. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 10th round of the 2009 MLB entry draft. Locker clarified that his primary focus is still on football and that playing baseball would merely be a fallback plan. Locker's hometown Ferndale declared the day of its annual Old Settlers Picnic to be "Jake Locker Day". On December 18, Jake Locker became engaged to Lauren Greer, a former University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 softball player.

External links

  • Jake Locker School of the Legends
  • Jake Locker Official University of Washington profile
  • Jake Locker at ESPN.com
    ESPN.com
    ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...

  • Jake Locker at Scout.com
    Scout.com
    Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...

  • Jake Locker high school statistics.
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