VALDOSTA —
Ricardo Lockette says he is living a dream that began when he was just six years old. Lockette is a player in the National Football League — a wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks to be exact.
On Wednesday, Lockette, an Albany native, came to Valdosta to spend a day with a local radio contestant winner and speak to the Boys and Girls Club of Valdosta and Lowndes County.
Lockette began his day by meeting contestant winner Joshua Williams, 14, who won The Jock 1150’s on-air contest and was awarded him the opportunity to spend the entire day with Lockette.
“I think it is big because it is not every day that someone gets to hang with a professional athlete or a movie star,” said Lockette of spending the day with Williams. “So for (Josh) to see that ‘he is a regular guy and that he is from right up the street and that he can do it. I can do it.’
The two, joined by radio hosts Adam Smith and Charles Hurd, spoke to the youth at the Boys and Girls Club of Valdosta on Toombs Street.
“It is crazy,” Lockette said. “I remember being the little kid and listening to the guys talk and saying, ‘Oh, I can’t do that or I couldn’t do this.’ But anything is possible. Anything you put your mind to, you can do it.”
The NFL wide receiver told the group of screaming and yelling adolescents that in order for him to accomplish his dream of playing professional football he had to work hard in school and listen to adults. Lockette then encouraged the youth to follow their dreams, whether being a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher or a professional athlete.
“That was the most important part of my speech,” Lockette said. “I wanted to let them know, it isn’t about where you come from or where you started, it is about you finishing and where, in your mind, you want to go — what is your goal.”
During his time at the Club, Lockette took questions from the crowd. Some of the more interesting questions were, “How much do you get paid?,” something he answered by replying, “You make a lot of money.” One question that made Lockette laugh was, “Are you in Madden?,” a question referring to whether the wide receiver is in the hit video game franchise.
Following the visit with the Boys and Girls Club, Lockette and Williams enjoyed a sit-down lunch, where the two were able to talk about various things, including his life as a professional athlete.
“Josh is laid back, he is kind of like me,” said Lockette. “But hopefully by the end of the day, we become best friends.”
Lockette and Williams finished their day with a special segment on the “Big A Show,” where they talked about their day together and Lockette’s rookie season, and what he expects heading into his second season in Seattle.
“Never give up. That is the most important thing,” said Lockette. “There are a lot of things that happen in people’s lives and they revert to the wrong things. Once you have a dream, stay on that path and follow that dream.”
Preparing for his second season with the Seahawks and in the NFL, Lockette is currently the third wide receiver on Seattle’s depth chart. Last season, Lockette caught one touchdown pass.
Lockette is an Albany native and played his high school football at Monroe High School. Following graduation, Lockette remained in South Georgia; he attended Fort Valley State University. He received a degree in Psychology and said when his NFL career comes to an end, he would like to work with local area youth.
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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette visited Valdosta on Wednesday. Lockette spent the day with a radio contest winner and spoke to kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Valdosta. Ed Hooper | The Valdosta Daily Times
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NFL’s Lockette spends day in Valdosta
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