Former Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Locker is enjoying his time with the Tennessee Titans, waiting in the wings behind Matt Hasselbeck as an understudy of an NFL quarterback. That doesn't mean that he isn't still paying attention to the college game, as Locker discussed a number of things with WGFX in Nashville on Thursday, including his thoughts on Andrew Luck and why he decided to return to Washington for his senior year.
Why he decided to go back to Washington for his senior season:
"For me, when I decided to go to the University of Washington, they were a program I watched growing up and they had a lot of tradition. They were one of the top teams in the Pac 10 every year and some years in the country. That's how I remembered them, that's what I knew the Huskies as, and I knew when I committed to go there that they weren't at that stage. We were kinda in a rough spot and I wanted to be a part of the process of bringing that back. We hadn't done that since I had been there. We hadn't won a bowl game, we hadn't won more than five games in a year, and so I guess just personally I had kinda set that goal for myself and my teammates and I wanted to see it through. I had the opportunity to graduate and in my opinion I created some memories that I'll be able to carry with me for the rest of my life and I'll be proud of."
That is a very refreshing thing to hear from a college athlete, wanting to be a part of the history involved in your school as well as trying to make a name for yourself there, not in the NFL. Most of us do remember the Huskies of old, the dominant teams of yesteryear, and who wouldn't want to get back to that? It's obvious that it meant a lot to him to be a Husky, and that shines through to this day.
What he thinks of Andrew Luck:
"Yeah Andrew, he's a great guy. I had the opportunity last summer to spend some time with him and he's a really good guy. He's got as great head on his shoulders, smart, understands the game, and playing against him, they've got a great football team and I think he'd be the first person to tell you that. He's precise, he's accurate, he's got a really strong arm and can make all the throws you ask him to, and I think he's a little more athletic than people give him credit for too. Any organization would be lucky to have him."
Any organization except the Titans, right Jake? There seems to be a protocol when it comes to talking about him, because everyone seemingly says the same things. I bet Locker's glad he's done playing against him for at least one season.