Even before he came to campus, he was a legend.
A prep god from a nearby town he had his pick of any school in the country but chose to the local team and instantly became the talk of the city.
When he was named the starter as an underclassman, the coach altered his offensive playbook to take advantage of his quarterbacks’ unique skills.
Some believed he would leave school after his junior year on the field, having nothing left to prove. He disagreed and overjoyed a city, while depressing the rest of his conference when he announced he was returning for his final season.
When both journalists and regular folks talk about him in the hometown of his school, it isn’t in terms of his on-field skills. No discussion of a good pass or great run is worthy; instead it is in terms usually reserved for people who have accomplished more than simply excelling in a sport. They talk of his character, his brain, his personality, his good deeds. They speak of some guy named Gandhi learning humility from him.
To his fans, calling him “great” is an insult and understatement on par with saying Lane Kiffin is a little off-putting.
In the run-up to his final season, there is no doubt in some circles that he is the finest player in the land and conversations could be had about his historical ranking.
Welcome to Seattle, Washington – home of Tim Tebow v2.0: Jake Locker.
Unlike most of the new versions pumped out by that tiny software start-up across Lake Washington in Redmond, however, there is a real belief that this new version is actually improved and could ultimately perform better than the original.
Jake Locker comes into his final season of college football with a local celebrity much like that a certain QB enjoyed at the opposite end of the country last year. He is an otherworldly athlete, leading the local team by making great plays on the field while maintaining a humble, ‘all-American’, too-good-to-be-true attitude off of it.
However, in other ways Locker’s celebrity is the exact opposite. Where ‘His’ legend grew based on guts, heart and impassioned speeches and winning game, Locker’s legend has been defined not by what he has done but what he is capable of.
Where countless haters were born from the constant, omnipresent hype of His greatness a year ago, outside of King county today, most people would wonder why you want to know about a retired Bronco quarterback if you ask them about Jake Locker.
Locker has never been surrounded by the best players in the country – except when trying to avoid a sack by the USC defense.
His teams have won a total of 8 games he has started in his 3 years on campus, which was a slow week for Tebow in Gainesville: he could win two games before his first class on Tuesday morning through sheer will power.
Yet, when they speak of Locker here, they whisper stories that sound like those exaggerated tales they used to tell about Tebow. Where SuperMan wore Tebow underwear or Chuck Norris learned to fight from Tebow, the stories here are that Locker was not only the strongest player on the entire football team but was also the fastest.
Whether these stories are actually true or just myths repeated often enough to become truth doesn’t really matter. In Seattle, Locker has transcended.
The Huskies should be improved this year under second year head coach Steve Sarkisian. Hopes are high – but even hopes differ from those down in the swamp. Where the Gators dreamed of their Lord and Savior leading them to national titles, Husky fans only ask of maybe a winning season and a bowl appearance for their messiah. Being two years removed from a winless season when Locker was lost to injury helps mute those expectations.
But, you get the feeling that even if the Huskies fail in the quest for a winning record and bowl appearance, everything would still be all right.
Husky fans seem to have come to accept that the Locker story is bigger than them. Where Tebow may be defined for the rest of his life by his time in Gainesville, the feeling even among the Husky faithful seems to be that this time in a Husky uniform is merely a prologue in the Book of Jake.
Tebow was a great college quarterback but not a great athlete or NFL prospect. He had suspect passing mechanics, he played in a system that doesn’t work in the pros, he isn’t accurate or smart enough. In the last year we heard (or in some cases wrote) all of the criticisms. For Jake those aren’t the questions. It is widely believed he has all the necessary physical gifts to excel at the next level. He has a strong arm. He is big and powerful and shockingly quick. Whether his team wins in college is an afterthought.
Though it could be argued that as an indicator of pro potential, collegiate success should be as big a measure of a prospect as physical attributes (just ask Jeff George and Jay Cutler) those simple arguments don’t apply to Jake. He has transcended.
T he Book of Jake will really be written starting next spring, when he could be the first pick taken in the NFL draft. I am sure there are some in town that dream of a LeBron-esque scenario where Locker plays professionally for his home town – after the last few years the sports gods certainly owe them at least that much – but I think most of Seattle will simply wish whatever team does draft Locker the best and, as long as it isn’t in the NFC West, will quietly root for them each Sunday.
Right now none of that really matters. That is the future. Seattle gets to enjoy Him for one more season. Whether his team wins 0, 2, 7 or 12 games doesn’t really matter either. Before He goes out and inevitably conquers bigger worlds, they still get him all to themselves for 12 more games.
For one more fall he is still theirs and he can do anything.
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