Tag Archives: Ferndale

Jake Enjoys Stellar Pro Day; Draft Day Nears

Comments Off
Posted by admin on March 30, 2011 – 7:10 pm
Filed under Jake Locker News, Uncategorized
Tagged as , , , , ,

Although the next month will assuredly be busy with invidual workouts, Jake’s last high-profile public workout went as good as he could have hoped for.

With a contingency of pro scouts and media alike watching carefully, Jake put on a throwing spectacle. The near perfect demonstration–with unofficial tallies touting a 38-40 performance–had many pundits clamoring about his continued improvements in his passing game, and even Jake couldn’t help but be satisfied.

“I think that each one I was able to improve on on the last and that’s how I felt today that I was able to improve on my Combine performance and be a little more consistent and fluid,” Jake said following the event. “Very happy with what I did today. I thought it was better. It was more consistent. There were a few throws in the Combine that I didn’t like, that I would have liked to do over again. Today I felt like every ball came of my hand good. I felt confident and it went where I wanted it to.”

Up next for Jake will be private team workouts. He will look to continue to impress his potential suitors before the start of the April 28th NFL draft, a special experience that he plans to view with his close family and friends from his family’s home in Ferndale, WA.

In case you missed Jake’s performance at UW’s Pro Day, you can view the replay on ESPN3.com.

Seattle Times also has some video of Jake here.

#10′s Top-10 Offseason Moments of 2010

1
Posted by admin on August 2, 2010 – 8:10 am
Filed under Interviews, Jake Locker News, Q&A's
Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As the first fall practice of the 2010 season is only a week away, we thought we would wrap up a busy offseason for Jake–an offseason filled with honors, predictions, and promotions. And, even though there hasn’t been any field action in the last 7 1/2 months–outside of the Spring Game and practices–there hasn’t been a shortage of Husky Football news and/or Jake news specifically.

If we missed anything, please feel free to comment on your favorite off-season moment. And, if you missed any of the great moments of the year so far, you can catch up below.

10. The “Year of Jake” jake-locker-new-york-trip

Although the Huskies are largely unknown after some disappointing seasons and being tucked away in the Northwest, the media started focusing on Jake once he decided to play his senior season. Bruce Feldman of ESPN posted an article titled “The Year of Jake Locker“, an interview with Jake’s dad, Scott, and Jake himself. It is an insider piece but one quote particularly of interest was regarding his love for football and baseball:

“I love playing football,” said the younger Locker. “That’s why I chose playing football out of high school. I have a passion for playing this game. It’s what I want to be doing. That’s where my focus is. I’ve said that ever since I got out of high school and that hasn’t changed. I want to play football. That is my goal. But I also told them {Angels} that if it doesn’t work out, I’d rather play a sport for a living than do something else. I would definitely give baseball a shot at that point.”

There were a couple of other interviews to check out, a q&a with Jake on fanhouse.com as well as a solid interview with Paul Silvi in May that touches on many different topics. Jim Moore is also part of the interview to provide the comic relief and dog angle….his favorite subject.

Jake and his offensive trio also were highlighted as the “top offensive trio” in College Football by Rivals.com, a lofty yet worthy praise….

locker-baseball-jersey19. Mariner For a Day 

Jake may be under contract with the Angels, but on July 10th he was able to wear the jersey of the hometown team and throw out the first pitch. And, while he couldn’t be convinced to assist the Mariners for the duration of the game, he did toss an effortless heater from the mound.

8. The Accolades

Well, it may cause some to pause, but being selected to the Playboy All American Team is quite an accomplishment as it a prestigious honor that is in its 54th year. Additionally, Jake was put on the Unitas and Davey O’Brien Award watch lists, two awards that are handed out at the end of the college football season and given to the Quarterback who displays the best on and off the field performance.

7. Seattle Male Sports Star of the Year jake-sportsstar1

In January, Jake was presented with Seattle’s “Male Sports Star of the Year” Award, an honor handed out by the Seattle Sports Commission at an event that was celebrating its 75th year. Jake had the opportunity to briefly speak in front of a room full of local sports celebrities, executives, and writers after accepting the award. 

6. A Football-Only Summer

When Jake signed the contract with the Angels, there was a lot of speculation and a lot of question marks to how it will fit in with a busy football schedule. But, when Jake quietly announced in late May that he would focus on football exclusively over the summer, it rang loud and clear to the ears of Husky fans.

locker-luck-foles-barkley1 5. East Coast Car Wash Part 2

In an effort to increase the exposure of Pac-10 football to the East Coast audience, Jake teamed up with fellow conference quarterbacks Andrew Luck, Nick Foles, and Matt Barkley. During this whirlwind trip–the second for Jake within a month–he was on ESPN’s Sportscenter and College Football Live, and the Mike & Mike and Scott Van Pelt radio shows. As part of the College Football Live show he was interviewed with the group, and also competed in some unique skill competitions against his friendly quarterback foes. A full link of media for the trip to ESPN can be found here on GoHuskies.com.

4a. UW’s Non-Heisman Heisman Promo

In early May, the University of Washington sent out a comp. card to a variety of sports media and personalities with Jake’s picture on the front, accompanied with quotes of his abilities from the likes of Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh and others. On the back side it lists his measurables, stats and various accomplishments. From what has been inferred, this is just the start to a what the University will produce in an effort to up the exposure on Jake & the Heisman Trophy pursuit.

4b. The Grassroots Heisman Pushjl_front

There is a fan who created a Jake Locker for Heisman Twitter Account, a “Jake Locker For Heisman 2010″ Facebook page that is rapidly approaching 6,000 followers, and also a short intro hosted on Jake4Heisman.com that forwards to this website–sites that will change as the season begins. Outside of the University’s future Heisman campaign, the fans are doing their part.

3. East Coast Car Wash Part I

In late June, Jake traveled to the Big Apple and also the campus at ESPN to do a 2 day media blitz. As part of the tour, Jake met with Sports Illustrated and went through ESPN’s “Car Wash”, a media smorgasbord that included appearances on ESPN2′s First Take, ESPN’s Sportscenter, College Football Live, and even a live chat on ESPN.com.

The 2 day tour was not only a great way to introduce Jake to the East Coast, but it also allowed everyone at Sports Illustrated and ESPN to get to know him. After his visit, Ted Miller from ESPN blogged about his visit, Bruce Feldman wrote about Jake’s “big year”, and Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel addressed Jake’s chances at the Heisman Trophy. Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times also posted a great summary of Jake’s trip to the big apple.

jake-4-heisman-rite-aid-sign2. Happy ‘Jake Locker Day’

Ferndale is a small town in the far northern parts of the State of Washington. But, what the small town lacks for in size they make up for in heart…and on July 24th, all their hearts were with the city’s pride and joy, Jake Locker. Mayor Jensen declared that day “Jake Locker Day”, which also happened to be the annual “Old Settlers” Weekend. And, as seen on the left, even the local Rite Aid took an opportunity to welcome Jake back home.

 As part of the festivities, Jake and some teammates rode in the parade and was able to enjoy the yearly celebration with friends and family. There is a great wrap up here, complete with a photo gallery.

1. “I’m Staying”

There were 2 words that Husky fans had been lobbying to hear, and on December 14th they got the news that all was well in their Husky world: Jake was staying for his senior year at the University of Washington.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times was one of the first guys as the scene, and reported the news on his Husky blog soon after Jake’s nonchalant announcement to coach Steve Sarkisian. There were opinions on his decision far and wide, yet throughout all the scrutiny for passing up on a potential #1 selection and guaranteed millions, Jake held firm to his commitment to the coaches and the Husky faithful.

After the dust settled, there were many well written pieces about how & why Jake came to his decision. Ted Miller of ESPN talked about Jake’s priorities, The New York Times came out in spring and posted this article on Jake, and Miller posted this interview with Jake  during the NFL draft.

After the NFL draft was complete, it appeared Jake’s decision was a good one. Quickly the attention turned to the 2011 NFL draft, and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated wrote about Jake’s current team focus and that once Jake gets through the upcoming season, he will still be a top selection in that draft. Mel Kiper, NFL draft guru for ESPN, echoed that Jake’s draft status will not change from ’10 to ’11.

“If you had to ask me right now who is going to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft, I would say it’s etched in stone it’s going to be Jake Locker,” Kiper said on April 7th. “You can make that down. Jake Locker, if he’s not the No. 1 pick, it’s an upset.”

The Return of “Montlake Jake”

Comments Off
Posted by admin on May 24, 2009 – 5:24 pm
Filed under Commentary
Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

SPORT-FOOTBALL/

Athleticism. Leadership. Grit. The list of attributes that Jake Locker possesses is lengthy, which is the main reason that everyone from the fans to the media expected him to throw the Huskies on his back and carry them back to prominence when he pledged to the University of Washington out of high school.

Tabbed the starter prior to the 2007 after a red-shirt year, Jake knew that he had to catch on quickly with the schedule that the Huskies had on tap. And, when asked how he felt about being dubbed the “savior” of UW Football, he was realistic. “I might fulfill expectations, I might not,” Locker told the Seattle times in an article published the eve of his first game. “Nobody knows at this point. So I’m just going to go out and do as well as I can and play as hard as I can, and I don’t think there’s anything else I can do. I can’t worry about the expectations that others have for me.”

His first start was at Syracuse, a Thursday night game featured on ESPN, and the spotlight was on the redshirt freshman quarterback from Ferndale. The quarterback did not disappoint as Locker made good reads, good throws, and exhilarating runs on his way to 14 of 19 passing for 142 yards, and had 10 carries for 83 yards with 2 touchdowns. It was a story book beginning for a player and team hungry to compete for a Pac-10 championship.

9 days later, the first home game of his career against #22 Boise State was a chance to treat the home fans to a victory, and Locker delivered with an impressive encore performance: 13 for 25 for 193 yards and a t.d., along with 84 yards and a t.d. on the ground on the way to a decisive victory over a solid bowl-worthy team. With every play in that game, including one where Locker took a group of defenders into the end-zone, the legacy and expectations of #10 continued to grow.

Optimism couldn’t have reached a higher point than after the first half of the following game, a contest against national powerhouse and #10 ranked Ohio State. The Huskies held their own against the Buckeyes in the first half, and went into the locker room with a 7-3 lead. Husky nation, at that point in time, reminisced about the last time a high-ranked team came into the stadium and left with a loss. It had felt like decades since the game in 2000 when the Huskies upset a Miami team, then #4 in the nation and stocked full of 17 future NFL first round draft picks, 34-29, but at this point anything felt possible.

It was as if Husky Football was back….and then, in an instant, it was gone. Although Locker still impressed as he looked faster than the NFL-caliber players on the OSU defense, he and the Huskies fell apart in the second half in what would be a theme for the rest of the season. 2 costly interceptions and countless missed assignments led to being outscored 30-7 in the last 30 minutes en route to a deflating 33-14 loss.

But, it should be noted that the freshman quarterback still had 102 yards rushing on 14 carries and passed for 153 yards and a touchdown against a very formidable opponent. The outlook was still bright for most, as 2-1 after 3 challenging games was nothing to fret about and, after all, the quarterback looked more mature than his years on a team where 37% of the players were seniors.

Unfortunately, it didn’t go as Husky fans had hoped. The Huskies proceeded to lose another 5 games in a row, falling to 2-6 for the season. A close 3-point loss to #1 USC, along with frustrating second half collapses against Oregon, Arizona State, Arizona and UCLA torpedoed the once-promising season. Although Locker continued to put up gaudy numbers, including a 336 yard passing/157 yard rushing/4 touchdown performance in a loss to Arizona, the team couldn’t catch a break.

Following a feel-good victory against Stanford, the freshman leader suffered a scary neck injury after a controversial hit during a game vs. Oregon State. Locker was taken off the field in an ambulance, and with him went any chance to salvage a lost season. Luckily, he was okay and returned to the field in a neck brace later, but he would miss the following game and then would fight through the rest of a season that would see more near-wins and harrowing losses.

2008 was supposed to be the return of Locker and the Huskies. And, although having a sophomore quarterback that had been through a full season was reason to hold out hope, it was a youthful team that lacked game experience in key areas. And, Locker would need to acquaint himself with a wide receiving group full of freshman and one returning player, and would need to find his way without 6th year senior and starting center Juan Garcia, who did not return until the 3rd game of the season.

Amidst all of the challenges that come with getting a team to gel in a short period of time, a severe hamstring injury knocked Locker out of fall camp. But, he was not going to let anyone make a big deal out of his injury and maintained his excitement for the season, a season that everyone knew would come down to his success and leadership.

As he took the field less than 100%, the first game saw the quarterback struggle. Without his typical speed and without a lot of time to bond with the new freshman receivers, the Husky offense could not get on track. After the loss to Oregon on the road a controversial defeat against BYU followed, a game that saw the flash of Jake’s brilliance as he willed them to what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown. It was a disappointing loss that got people from coast to coast talking, but discussing the poorly officiated ending was no consolation for a team thirsty for a victory. jake-locker31

Less than 2 games later, Locker’s already challenging season was cut short after he broke his hand throwing a block. Always the consummate teammate and leader, the cruel twist of fate was fitting if not only for the reason he suffered his injury doing what most quarterbacks don’t do: block for their teammates.

As we look to next season, the Huskies aren’t even a blip on the radar of most. They open their season with a nationally televised night game against perennial powerhouse LSU, a game they are expected to lose. They bring in a losing streak of regrettable proportions. And they feature a quarterback that, outside of the West Coast, has been largely forgotten because of his abrupt departure last season.

Through the 2-year journey, Jake has seen not only what it feels like to quickly climb the peaks of success, but also how it feels to endure frustrating injuries and painful losses. This year may be a perfect opportunity, however. He will be able to approach a season with relative calm, a season where there will be optimism but few expectations. It will be with a team that lacks a large group of seniors but one that is packed full of potential. And even though there will be a gauntlet of tests on the schedule, it will provide great opportunities to recapture what has been recently been lost: in Locker’s words, we will once again see ”a more inspired football team.”

It could be said after the last 2 years (15 total games) that it would appear Locker is star-crossed or unlucky. Whatever conclusions are made, there is an old saying that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” If that is the case, the talented Mr. Locker may be stronger than ever, and with a healthy group of more experienced teammates and a coach known for developing quarterbacks, fans of college football should take notice: ”Montlake Jake” will be back.

Tailgatin’ with the Ferndawgs

Comments Off
Posted by admin on April 30, 2009 – 7:20 am
Filed under UW Family
Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ferndawgs Tailgate-mobile

It’s 3:00 on Saturday after the Spring game, and we are having a ball with the pack of self-proclaimed “Ferndawgs” at their tailgate. Scott & Anita Locker,  Ferndale natives and parents of Jake, lead the group of loyal fans 90 minutes down I-5 for the spring game and every home game during the season. The gathering of friends and family celebrate the event in style with satellite t.v., multiple grills going, and a spread worthy of an Offensive Lineman’s appetite.

With a decked out RV that contains newly updated purple and gold vinyl seats and #10 embroidered in the front seats, along with a big #10 and “Ferndawgs” painted on the sides, it is hard to mistake the Locker’s tailgate party. They have a staple group of Ferndale residents that come down and root for Jake and the Huskies, and in addition to the Tolars, Chidiacs, and Habbens, the camp is a good representation of not only the camaraderie that can continue from the hometown friends and family, but the friendships that can be made through the network of football parents.

“We have a great group,” Scott Locker said of the tailgate faithful. “Over 50 friends and family flew out to the Syracuse game (Jake’s first game as a starter in ’07). It’s one of my favorite memories.”

Not only do they rally at all the home games, travel to the away games is essential as well. “I don’t miss many games,” Scott says. When asked if he stopped attending the away games after Jake got hurt last year, Scott admitted “I missed a couple, but we still went to the majority of the games because we are a team.”

The away travel discussion brings up countless recollections of the last few years, with Mike Habben quick to say “I have tons of stories on Scott.” Of course, most of them are what you would expect from a tight-knit group of football guys; jokes and ribbing of each other, as well as talk about favorite places to go in each city and things to do before game time. The dialogue is good indication that the fun doesn’t just leave the state of Washington when they do, but that away games give them even more time to get to know each other and let loose for a weekend. “We have great fun when we go out of town. I look forward to it,” Scott says with a smile.

As the tailgate party continues on, the NFL Draft plays on the t.v. located in the back of Mike Habben’s vehicle. Sandi Lappano, mother of Taylor and wife of former offensive coordinator Tim Lappano, mingles with everyone while she follows the draft more intently than years past. Tim is now the tight end coach for the Detroit Lions, and was out in Detroit for the draft. “Tim didn’t think the Lions were going to take a tight end today,” Sandi states. “But, wouldn’t you know they took one with the 20th pick.”

It is ironic that this day of Spring Ball falls on the same day as the NFL draft, two events that symbolize new beginnings in many different ways. It is a correlation that will hopefully mean rather than tail gating for the Spring game in a couple of years, each member of this group may be somewhere watching the draft as the main event in the day, waiting to see if their kids reach the pinnacle of their football careers. Undoubtedly, when that time comes this close community will be there to take in the experience and support each other through the twists and turns that the draft and a career in professional sports can bring.

As the tailgate winds down and most fans have left the parking lot, the Ferndale group still waits for their guys to shower up and come out for some grub. Members of the casually-dressed Husky band come over to serenade the group as they walk on through the parking lot, almost seemingly as the private band of the “Ferndawgs” for a moment or two. The mood is celebratory, enjoyment from a good Spring game and the pseudo-start of the 2009 season. “This is the best time in my life,” Scott tells me. And who can blame him for feeling that way? Good family, good friends, and a good time. Let the season begin.