Video Ode to Jake Locker

I know a lot of people in Canuck land have never heard of Jake Locker. I'll admit, about two and a half years ago, I didn't either. He's the quarterback of the University of Washington, he just passed up millions upon millions of dollars to stay in college for one last year, he's already been drafted by the Anaheim Angels for his baseball talent, and he's a hometown kid that could've went to school almost anywhere he wanted to.

He's the complete blend of size, speed and athleticism. To put it in Vancouver terms, he's as fast as Geroy Simon, runs like Martell Mallett, and can throw as far as Jarious Jackson.

It's fair to say that, barring any unforeseen injuries or changes, he will go first overall in the 2011 NFL draft. Because of this, Vancouver fans should realize that they have one more year, or six home games, to take advantage of the relatively short drive it takes to get down to UW and see him play. Although, who's to say that the Seahawks don't tank (again) next season and end up drafting him?

Because of all of this, I've compiled a bunch of YouTube videos to truly recognize the talent.

--- First, Locker's freshman year highlights. He was thrown into the mix as a 17-year-old under Tyrone Willingham's spread option offense, where he came close to almost singlehandedly upsetting national football powers Ohio State and USC.

--- To show his toughness, here's the hit that he took during the USC game. And against Ohio State, check the facemasking penalty he took.

--- In 2008, Locker started the season with a loss to Oregon, but then orchestrated a huge comeback against fifteenth ranked Brigham Young, one which ended with one of the worst penalty calls in the 2008 season. Locker had a tough season in 2008 with a coach ready to be fired and no talent around him. After a 40+ point whooping at the hands of Oklahoma, Locker shattered his thumb while throwing a block against Stanford and missed the rest of the season.

--- Here are all of his highlights from the Brigham Young game.

--- Willingham was then fired, and in came Steve Sarkisian, former offensive coordinator of USC, as head coach at UW. He vowed to bring in a pro-style offense to help Locker mould into an NFL quarterback, one that could use more than just his legs. This was the result.

--- And here's one of the final ten plays of the win over third ranked USC that Husky fans will remember for a long, long time.

--- Don't worry, the kid can still use his feet.

Still not convinced? Go ahead. YouTube him. Check the stats, check the mock drafts. This kid is the real deal. And if you still need convincing, get down to the UW and see him play. It might be your last chance. Follow me on twitter @scotts_thoughts.