Football

Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett gives glory to God as Seattle's new No. 1 receiver

By Jon Ackerman Nov 4, 2019
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett catches a touchdown pass, Nov. 3, 2019. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

If you had to pick an NFL MVP through nine weeks of the 2019 season, you’d be hard-pressed to choose anyone other than Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. He’s leading the league with 22 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 118.2. He’s thrown only one interception in 293 attempts, and his 2,505 passing yards rank third overall.

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A big reason he’s putting up big numbers is thanks to the play of his top wide receiver, Tyler Lockett. The two connected 13 times on Sunday for 152 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks needed every bit of that production in their 40-34 overtime win.

It marked the finest game of Lockett’s five-year career. It was his third two-touchdown game, but the yardage total Sunday was far more than the other two occurrences. Lockett ended the game just two yards shy of his career-best 154, which came in Week 3 this year against New Orleans. The 2015 third-round pick from Kansas State has seven 100-yard receiving games in his career, three of which have come this season; he also hauled in 100 yards last week against Atlanta.

Thus, Lockett is on pace for the best season of his career. His 59 catches are already a career high, while his receiving yards and touchdowns are sure to follow. He’s collected 767 yards so far, less than 200 away from his career-best 965 last season. And with six touchdowns through nine games, he needs just four more to match last season’s career-best total of 10.

As Wilson’s definitive No. 1 receiver now, Lockett is likely to hit those marks. Though Lockett was the team’s leading receiver in 2018, Doug Baldwin was still looked at as the top wideout. But Baldwin’s retirement in the offseason opened the door for Lockett.

And the 27-year-old is thanking God for his opportunities. He gave God the glory as he walked off the field Sunday, and he often uses his social media to praise his Lord and Savior:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4c0j3ShNv7/

Says Lockett, “My faith in God drives me. I could sit here and do all this stuff for me, but at the end of the day, it’s not going to make me truly happy. … You’re going to want more if you’re doing it for yourself. If you’re doing it for something bigger, you’ll take a greater value in the little things. You’ll be more humble and more content.

“When you have a faith in God, you don’t worry about your life. What’s the point in serving somebody who created you and has a plan for you but then you never trust that the plan is going to prevail?”

God’s plan now has Lockett thriving in Seattle. He and the Seahawks gear up this week for their biggest test of the season as they travel to San Francisco for a crucial Monday night matchup. Seattle sits at 7-2 on the year, in strong playoff contention, but second in the NFC West behind the 8-0 San Francisco 49ers.

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