City of Albany honors Super Bowl champ Ricardo Lockette

It started with Ricardo Lockette walking into the room at the Albany Civic Center, hands raised, greeting the crowd with, “Hey everybody.”
Next came the announcement of the first official “Ricardo Lockette Day.” Dozens of people — including family, friends, community leaders and a host of well-wishers — were in attendance Saturday to honor the 27-year-old Monroe grad, who cemented a spot in Albany lore as a member of this year’s Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks team.
The ceremony featured several tributes that recognized Lockette, who starred on special teams and was a backup receiver for the Seahawks, for his accomplishments on the field and his maturation into an upstanding individual off the field. The keynote came when Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard and Jeff Sinyard, chairman of the Dougherty County Commission, read a proclamation marking the day as one saluting Lockette.
“It is always an honor for our city to have a young man go out and represent us on a national stage,” Hubbard said. “It’s an honor for me to be a part of this celebration to welcome him home and let him know how proud we are of him. He is so humble, and I love people who understand that God put you here for a reason.”

http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2014/m ... p-ricardo/

I can't lie... never thought I'd see something like this. Ricardo Lockette day... wow.

This is Albany, Georgia for those wondering. You know who else is from Albany, Georgia and played WR at the very same high school as Ricardo Lockette? Deion Branch. Strange, but true.

kearly":6ivptv1w said:

This is Albany, Georgia for those wondering. You know who else is from Albany, Georgia and played WR at the very same high school as Ricardo Lockette? Deion Branch. Strange, but true.

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This is somehow the most appropriate thing I've ever heard in my life. Oh irony, how I love thee.

His words were a pretty good message. It was more about thanking one another for pulling together as a community to honor one of its own. He admits that he is just a role player but humbled that the town would want to honor him. I hope he is able to fulfill his dream one day though I doubt it will be here as a starter. If he returns, there is a role for him here. Otherwise, best of luck to him going forward.

On a sidenote, with a little cynicism in it (what's new around this place when expressing that train of though?:

Willie Earl Lockette, Ricardo’s grandfather and Dougherty County chief superior court judge, gave a few words of encouragement, imploring his grandson to not forget his blessings.

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I smell a little home cooking and backroom politics here. It happens, not something to take more than at face value. Just got a chuckle out of it.

yep, i know all about this place. i grew up there. another random trivia fact about albany - it was the home of the largest marine corps logistics base on the atlantic coast. a land locked town in the middle of nowhere with a military base thanks to one Sen. Nunn - chairman of the armed forces committee.

Ricardo Lockette transformed himself into a rocket launcher as a Special Teams gunner. And the way he blew people up was so catastrophic that his whole town could feel it and are honoring him now as a way to stay out of his destructive path.

Everyone loves a champion. Good for Lockette.
Speaking of military bases in weird areas I'm pretty sure there is a navy base in the middle of the desert between Vegas and Laughlin.

Good for Lockette. Hope he keeps devoloping.

I had high hopes for Lockette when we initially got him. I haven't seen a player as fast as him in a while. Problem was that early on he was just a pretty boy track star (channel 83 lol) and not a football player. Unwilling to play ST. Apparently that has all gone away and no he flies down the field like a tomahawk.

I have a suspicion that he'll be in the mix at WR this year. He earned PT late in the year when everyone was still healthy and he has become an actual football player. Unless we hit paydirt in the draft at WR he's probably your #4 that will get on the field to take advantage of that raw speed.

Everyday is Ricardo Lockette day in Justin Veltung's house. Dude still having nightmares.

kearly":36kngdfp said:

This is Albany, Georgia for those wondering. You know who else is from Albany, Georgia and played WR at the very same high school as Ricardo Lockette? Deion Branch. Strange, but true.

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Yes not Albany, NY. lol

good for lockett, he's been sticking with it for years even though he's fallen in that grey area between active and PS player. I just hope he can develop into a constantly active dude before his age catches up with his speed.