Jake Locker was a 3-sport star athlete in high school (he was drafted to play Major League Baseball, but turned down the offer because he preferred playing football). He was hailed as a hero when he played quarterback for the University of Washington. He was picked by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the NFL draft. Four years later, he chose to leave the league… and lots of people had questions.
In this episode of “What It's Like To…” we get the full story of what shaped Jake as a boy and as a young man, and what ultimately led him to make big decisions with certainty. It's a story of football, fame, Family and faith, and how one man found the right balance for his life.
In this episode:
- Jake's early influences and childhood (01:55)
- Why he made the decision to not sign the MLB contract (08:45)
- Playing football at the University of Washington, and why he didn't enter the NFL draft after his junior year (11:26)
- Healthy and unhealthy ways of dealing with pressure, Stress, and expectations (17:28)
- What it felt like to get drafted into the NFL (21:00)
- Playing in college vs. playing in the NFL (23:56)
- How Jake began to see his identity shift (29:37)
- Thoughts on how the media portrayed him (34:04)
- Does he still like football? (38:51)
- How those closest to Jake responded to his decision to leave the NFL (42:03)
Want to know more about Jake?
- check out his gym, Locker Room Fitness: lockerroomfitness.com
Want to know more about the podcast “What It's Like To… ?”
- Sign up to be on our Insiders' List to receive our newsletters and insiders' information! Go to whatitsliketo.net (sign-ups are at the bottom of the page)
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Elizabeth Pearson Garr has spent a lot of her life asking questions. A daughter of a professor and a principal, as a kid she loved sitting at the “adult table” during their dinner parties so she could participate in the “real” conversations.
Elizabeth went on to graduate with honors from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature, and promptly attended professional cooking school to become a food writer. That led to various career opportunities, including becoming one of the first employees of the Television Food Network; writing/producing gigs at networks from PBS to E!; anchoring/reporting at the NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana; earning a graduate degree in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University; and various and sundry other things. The through-line to all this has been curiosity. Elizabeth is a skilled interviewer who loves diving deep into research, finding connections, and telling good stories.
Elizabeth has a husband, two daughters, and a fluffy white dog who rarely leaves her side.
