The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver retires after suffering a scary neck injury last fall.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and special teams ace Ricardo Lockette announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday due to complications from a horrific neck injury, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.
The 29-year-old suffered a concussion, along with disk and ligament damage in his neck, after being hit by Dallas Cowboys safety Jeff Heath while covering a punt return. Lockette instantly fell to the turf and laid motionless for several minutes, with paramedics later informing him that he easily could have died had there been any more contact on the play.
After a few months of rehab, Lockette had no choice to retire due to complications from the still-lingering injury. As Lockette is still unable to completely rotate his neck, football takes a back seat to his well-being in day-to-day life.
Lockette’s journey to the NFL wasn’t easy, as he fought his way to a roster spot with the Seahawks after being an undrafted free agent in 2011 out of Fort Valley State University. Two more teams picked Lockette up in 2012 and 2013, before he returned to Seattle for the final three years of his career.
In 34 career games, Lockette totaled 22 receptions and 451 receiving yards with four touchdowns, and likely would have entered the season as Seattle’s fourth or fifth option on the depth chart. Much of Lockette’s value came from special teams as a gunner.
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