As the reigning 2007 Pac-10 freshman of the year, Jake Locker would appear to have a bright enough football future ahead of him.
But when Washington's sophomore quarterback isn't leading the Huskies' offensive arsenal, he is sharpening his baseball skills with the Bellingham Bells, an amateur summer baseball team in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League.
Locker had just completed his first season as the Huskies' starting quarterback when he received a phone call and an enticing offer from his former high school baseball and current Bellingham Bells coach Brandon Newell.
"One day he (Newell) called me and just asked if I would be interested in playing in the summer," Locker said in a teleconference. "He told me it wouldn't get in the way of my football responsibilities. I had my football schedule, and I told him the places I needed to be in, what I had to do, and I just told him the games I could make it to and those I couldn't."
A three-sport athlete in high school, Locker received national attention as a standout athlete in both football and baseball. In 2005, he led Ferndale (Wash.) High School to its first football state title. In the spring of 2006, he was named the Washington Class 3A Most Valuable Player and was selected as a first-team All-State selection at pitcher and outfielder.
During his stint at Ferndale, Locker impressed professional baseball scouts, and as a result, the Los Angeles Angels took a flier on him, picking him in the 40th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft.
After weighing his options, Locker forfeited his baseball career to pursue collegiate football at Washington. In last season's opening game at the Carrier Dome, Locker flashed his signature running ability. He torched Syracuse for 142 passing yards, 84 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
But when the opportunity arose to play amateur baseball during the summer, Locker realized it was an excellent chance to resurrect his baseball past and compete in another athletic endeavor.
Before accepting the invitation to join the Bells, Locker sat down with head coach Tyrone Willingham to express his intentions and obtain his blessing. Willingham, a former three-sport athlete at Michigan State, wholly supported Locker's decision to expand his athletic horizon.
"I've always said the one thing about football players is they don't have the opportunity to compete enough," Willingham said in a teleconference. "If you notice most of the other sports play 50-65 games a year, but football players only play 14 or 15, so having the opportunity for him (Locker) to add another 40-50 opportunities to compete, gives him a chance to enjoy the competition and hone his field."
That competitive spirit might have worked against Locker, this past Saturday.
He spearheaded a furious Washington rally against No. 15 BYU, scoring a touchdown with two seconds left that left the Huskies an extra point away from tying the contest. But Locker was penalized 15 yards for an excessive touchdown celebration, and the ensuing extra point was blocked, relegating Washington to a 28-27 loss.
During the summer, the Huskies and the Bells agreed to limit Locker to outfield and designated hitter duties throughout the season. Both parties made the decision in order to reduce the chances of a shoulder injury for the star quarterback.
With all the particulars handled, Locker officially joined the Bells, and embarked on his eventful off-season. As soon as he joined the team, Newell instantly noticed that his competitive attitude provided the dugout with an emotional jolt.
"The thing about Jake is that he is an ultra-competitive kid," Newell said. "Whether he's competing at baseball or football, he competes. What he did for us was that he raised the level of play by everyone he was around. He brought a great level of energy to the dugout every time we took the field."
In 10 games with the Bells, Locker batted a respectable .273, with one home run, three RBIs and a .424 slugging percentage. Despite the hectic schedule, Locker admitted that he usually balanced both teams' schedules without conflict.
"It basically worked out," Locker said. "I would be down in Seattle during the week with the football team, and then on the weekend I would go play baseball."
So far this season, Locker has continued to play at the high level he competed at for the Huskies last year. In two games, he has been a dual threat, throwing for 307 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, while running for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries.
Even so, Newell knows the door is open for Locker's return to baseball and believes Locker has pro potential if he decides to switch career paths.
"He's an extremely talented athlete in general," Newell said. "You let him play centerfield, and he just outruns baseballs. If he were ever to focus on baseball, I know he would be a very, very high draft pick in the Major League Baseball draft."
From nothing to something
Before the season began, there were no substantial expectations for the East Carolina football program. But after stunning then-No. 17 Virginia Tech, 27-22, in week one and then-No. 8 West Virginia, 24-3, in week two, the Pirates earned a No. 14 ranking in the Associated Press poll, the highest for the program since 1992.
With head coach Skip Holtz guiding the way, the Pirates will seek to continue its climb up the poll charts with a third consecutive victory against Tulane this weekend.
Game to watch: No. 5 Ohio State at No. 1 USC
This weekend's nationally ranked match up between the Buckeyes and Trojans will have plenty of appealing storylines. Most viewers will be interested to see how Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells fares as he returns from a toe injury that sidelined him last week against Ohio. USC quarterback Mark Sanchez and the Trojans' offense will also receive considerable attention, as they attempt to prove that their 56-point offensive outburst against Virginia was no fluke.
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