Tennessee Titans former 1st-round draft pick Jake Locker has announced his retirement from the NFL at age 26 after four years with the team.
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Locker, who the Titans drafted No. 8 overall in the 2011 NFL draft, made the announcement in a statement obtained by NFL.com insider Ian Rapoport, citing his numerous injuries and lack of desire to play anymore as his primary reasons for walking away at such a young age.
“I am retiring from football after much reflection and discussion with my family,” Locker said in his statement. “I will always be grateful for having had the opportunity to realize my childhood dream of playing in the NFL and for the lifelong relationships I developed because of that experience.
“Football has always played a pivotal role in my life and I love the game, but I no longer have the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living; to continue to do so would be unfair to the next organization with whom I would eventually sign. I realize this decision is surprising to many, but I know in my heart that it is the right decision and I look forward to spending more time with my family and pursuing other interests.”
A star QB with the Washington Huskies for four years in college, Locker was a very mobile QB who struggled with accuracy but still managed to bring a mostly talent-barren team to a Holiday Bowl victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2010. After an impressive pre-draft workout, Locker was drafted 8th overall by the QB-starved Tennessee Titans.
In a four year NFL career, Locker started just 23 games, going 9-14 in his starts. He had a career passer rating of 79.0, recorded 165.6 yards/game, along with 27 passing TDs and five rushing TDs.
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