Aaron Lockett was an exceptional athlete when he was younger, but he couldn’t make it big in the NFL like his nephew, Tyler. Aaron was a seventh-round pick who ended up playing in the Canadian Football League, while Tyler was a third-round pick who has become a quality wideout in the league. So, naturally, when we sat down with Aaron, we had to ask if he knew his nephew was going to make it big in the pros.
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Tyler has spent 10 seasons in the NFL, and all with the Seattle Seahawks… until now. He’s just signed with the Tennessee Titans, kicking off an exciting new chapter with a team that just drafted Cam Ward.
So far, Tyler’s career stats are impressive: over 8,500 receiving yards, 661 catches, and 61 touchdowns. He’s also snagged a First-Team All-Pro selection and a Pro Bowl nod. Not bad for the 69th overall pick, right? Well, Aaron saw that potential early on.
When speaking about his nephew, Aaron said he was pretty sure Tyler would make it big in the NFL from a young age. And by “pretty sure,” we mean he was about 75% convinced.
“75% of me knew he could do what he’s doing,” Aaron told The SportsRush. “Tyler’s extremely talented; he’s been talented from a very young age. The 25% is always the unknown, and that’s what he’s already satisfied as well.”
At first glance, one might think Aaron wasn’t fully confident in Tyler’s ability to make the pros. But in reality, he’s never 100% certain that anything is going to happen.
As an athlete who’s faced twists and turns throughout his career, he knows there’s always a portion you have to reserve for the unknown. He himself fell to the 7th round of the 2002 NFL draft and never made it past the practice squad.
Naturally, Aaron sounded super proud of Tyler’s achievements. And since Tyler followed in his uncle’s footsteps at Kansas State University, the Lockett name is now all over the school’s record books.
“If you put on his college career, it’s amazing. If you go through and look at the numbers he put down and really put it in perspective, it’s what you would call timeless. Regardless of what era of football you’re looking at. His numbers would resonate with anybody that loves the game of football,” Aaron said about Tyler.
“You’re talking about a two-time special-teams player of the year. Talking about 1400 yards in his last year. You’re talking about 219 yards in a game against Oklahoma. Under 20-degree weather, 200 yards in a half. Those things are unheard of,” he added.
Tyler Lockett’s college numbers are quite staggering when examined. In just four seasons, he put up almost half of the receiving yards that he’s tallied in his entire NFL career. The same goes for touchdowns. And he even briefly carried over his kick-returning successes into the league before stopping in 2020.
All in all, Aaron took great pride in talking about his nephew’s success in the NFL. The two must have a great connection. Both played football growing up, played the same positions, and went to the same colleges.
But now, 10 years into his career, one has to wonder how much Lockett has left in the tank. His numbers have steadily declined since 2022, and the Seattle Seahawks chose not to re-sign him this past year. There’s no doubt that he’s looking for a bounce-back campaign with the Titans in 2025.
