ALBANY SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Ricardo Lockette took unique path to NFL

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a series of stories profiling the four members of the 2016 class being inducted into the Albany Sports Hall of Fame.

ALBANY — Ricardo Lockette grew up watching and idolizing Deion Branch and Antonio Leroy, two of the best athletes to come out of Albany.

The wide receiver will join them in the Albany Sports Hall of Fame.

Lockette will be one of four inductees as a member of the class of 2016. He will be formally inducted at a banquet Monday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn.

“Watching those guys was motivation for me,” Lockette said. “That is the same thing that I want to provide for Albany. I am very excited for the opportunity.”

The path that Lockette took to the NFL was unique. He played football for three years at Monroe High School, but his primary sport was track & field. Originally, Lockette joined the team as a high jumper but was needed to run as part of the relay team when one of his teammates got hurt.

He saw immediate success as a runner and eventually ended up at Fort Valley State where he became the NCAA Division II 200-meter national champion in 2008.

While his track & field career flourished, his football career was a work in progress. In his two years as part of the football team at Fort Valley State, Lockette totaled just 42 receptions for 539 yards and four touchdowns.

Despite running a 4.37 time in the 40-yard dash at the 2011 NFL Combine, Lockette went undrafted. During the 2011 season, he made his NFL debut with the Seattle Seahawks playing in two games and catching two passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

After the season, Lockette bounced around as a member of the practice squads for the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears before again being signed to the Seahawks’ active roster in October of 2013.

“I was afraid of being a failure,” Lockette said when asked why he kept at it despite not having a permanent roster spot.

“I was afraid of getting to my dream and everyone watching me, then not completing the goal.”

During the 2013 season, Lockette began to find his role. He played in eight regular-season games, catching five passes and contributing two tackles on special teams. The highlight of the year was a 19-yard catch in the Seahawks’ 43-8 Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Denver Broncos.

The 2014 season was his breakout year. The wide receiver played in all 16 games and registered 11 catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He also hauled in six passes for 90 yards in the Seahawks’ three postseason games.

Lockette was set to have a promising 2015 season until a devastating injury ended his season after just eight games. While playing on punt coverage against the Cowboys, Lockette was blindsided by Dallas safety Jeff Heath. He was motionless on the field for several minutes while being tended by trainers. Lockette suffered a concussion and ligament damage to his neck due to the hit.

The speedster is currently an unrestricted free agent after he was not offered a contract by the Seahawks.

“I’m just healing,” Lockette said. “Everything gets better with time. Everyone is wondering if I’m done or if I’m going to play again. It is the offseason now, so I’m really just enjoying the offseason.”

Lockette said he never imagined he would be joining his idols in the Albany Sports Hall of Fame.

“I don’t think it has hit me yet,” he said. “I am still in disbelief…I appreciate it, but I will always feel like I’m not worthy. I will always feel like there is something more I could have done. I feel like I’m not a Hall of Famer. I’m just an average guy that plays football and wants to help his community.”