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Former NFL player Ricardo Lockette was arrested in Atlanta on April 10, 2024. Lockette was a wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks in 2011 and 2013- 2016.
Lockette, 37, faces three criminal charges: theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a vehicle with an altered VIN, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of or attempt to commit a felony, according to WSB-TV Atlanta.
Per court documents obtained by the outlet, Lockette had a Glock 43 9mm pistol upon his arrest. In addition, he was driving a stolen Dodge Ram truck.
Lockette started his promising career in track and football.
Lockette is from Albany, GA, and attended Monroe Comprehensive High School. There, he excelled in track and football and pursued both sports. He signed a letter of intent with the Albany Tigers football team, but his SAT score prevented him from playing for the team.
Lockette attended Wallace Community College in Dothan, Ala, for a year, where he excelled in track, finishing 10th nationally in the 400-meter dash. He then took a year off to train for the Olympics and transferred to Fort Valley State University, continuing his athletic career. In 2008, Lockette won the NCAA Division II 200-meter dash, setting a personal record of 20.63 seconds; he ran the 100-meter dash in 10.28 seconds and tied for the third-fastest 40-yard dash (4.37 seconds).
In 2011, the Seattle Seahawks signed Lockette. He then had short stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears before returning to the Seahawks in 2013. With the Seahawks, he won Super Bowl XLIX against the Denver Broncos in 2014.
In 2014, Lockette and two teammates on the San Francisco 49ers were under investigation for possible sexual misconduct. Colin Kaepernick, Quinton Patton, and Lockette were named in the Miami police report. The authorities took an incident report, but no charges were filed against any players.
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Lockette retired at just 29 years old after an injury.
On Nov. 1, 2015, in Dallas, Lockette sustained a neck injury and had to be helped off of the field. That career-ending injury led to his retirement at age 29 in 2016.
“It’s not a sad day for me. Life goes on,” Lockette shared at his retirement press conference. “I never really wanted to be an Olympic track star or an NFL player. I just wanted to be great; I wanted to be great at something. And hopefully, I’ve done that.”
Lockette added: “I love my family, and I’d rather be able to walk.”
News of Ricardo Lockette’s arrest is zipping through the sports world. Some may be surprised about the arrest since Lockette was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club of Albany’s Hall of Fame in 2019. Currently, Lockette serves as a player advisor for the Harvard Football Players Health Study, a research program aimed at improving the safety of football players.