Open Letter to Jake Locker

Dear Jake,

I bet you didn't see this coming when you committed to the University of Washington all those years ago.  On the day that you fulfilled one of your earliest childhood dreams, you were likely thinking about the education that you were going to receive, the opportunities your friends and family were going to have to see you play, the relationships that you were going to form with your teammates, and being part of the restoration of a tattered UW program that you have loved since your earliest days. 

What did you get?

Through no fault of your own, you stumbled into the wake of one of the greatest organizational mistakes ever made in the history of UW Athletics.  Without your consent, you were branded as the face of a mismanaged enterprise and labeled as the savior of a program that grown men with experience and salaries should have been saving themselves.  You were thrown into an offensive system in which the central philosophy changed weekly and  you endured one of the least eloquent coaching changes in college football history.  You were exposed to far more physical punishment than most college football quarterbacks should have to face.  You've suffered late hits, face masks, concussions, broken digits, strained muscles and a more contusions than you would care to comment on.  Even more painfully, you've endured the limitless expectations heaped upon you by an adoring fan base.  You've dazzled us with your long runs.  But we want more.  You've matured as a passer.  We want more.  You've physically beaten DL's, LB's and S's.  We want more.  You've passed for 300 and ran for 100 twice in your career.  We want more.  You led the Pac 10 in total offense.  We want more. 

Despite this controversy and pressure, you keep choosing the Huskies.

When Pete Carroll came calling and wanted you to anchor his championship winning teams at USC, you chose the Huskies.

When you got your head taken off at Oregon State and were carted away by an ambulance, you came back to the field that night and chose the Huskies.

When the Ty regime came crashing down in that painful and humbling 2008 season leaving you with an opportunity to transfer somewhere else more stable (like a man named Mark Pope did a decade before you), you chose the Huskies.

When Coach Sark was hired and promised to convert the offense into a style completely foreign to you, you chose the Huskies.

When the MLB came calling and drafted you ... twice..., you chose the Huskies.

When the NFL pundits promised that you would be the #1 pick in the NFL draft, you chose the Huskies.

Jake, I am as guilty as anyone inside or outside of Husky Nation in critiquing your play.  I've jumped on the happy feet issue and bemoaned your accuracy issues.  I've joined in the chorus of people who have wondered aloud if you were capable of being a "real QB".  I'm an idiot.  I've missed the big picture.  I've ignored what is staring me right in the face.  I've failed to face facts.

The facts are that you have restored Husky Football and made the game fun again for the fans of Purple and Gold.  We wake up every Saturday morning thinking we have a chance of winning the game ahead that day.  Why?  Because of you.  Your presence, your leadership, your capabilities and the impact you have on your teammates give us hope.  It hurts when we lose only because we all thought that we had a chance to win that day.

As the final season of your Husky career winds down, I implore you to shut out and ignore those hawks around the program who label your performance as "disappointing".   Ignore those so-called experts who project your draft status on a weekly basis.  Ignore the taunts of those other Pac 10 fan bases that hurl their contempt upon the celebrity that someone else created for you.  Ignore idiots like me who have nothing better to do than to rant on message boards while you go about the business of creating a meaningful and fulfilling life for yourself. 

Most importantly, have fun.  Let it all hang out in these last few games.  Keep playing the game the way you have been playing it - for your teammates and for your family.  Play the game you want to play and let the chips fall wherever they may.  We won't soon, if ever, see another person with your character, talent and physical skills come through this program.  You have earned our adoration and appreciation. 

Sincerely,

Husky Fans Everywhere