A Long Time Coming for Lockett

By: D. Scott Fritchen

Five days after Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman offered Sterling Lockett a football scholarship, Kevin Lockett sat high on a sloping grass hill overlooking the football field at Park Hill South High School in Riverside, Missouri, the Kansas City downtown skyline in full view to the south, while a setting sun shot rays through the tops of trees, accentuating the white cleats and gloves worn by his 16-year-old son, as he chased down footballs during 7-on-7 passing drills upon the field below.

"A lot of people say they're so thankful that our family has gone to K-State, and I always respond, 'K-State has done just as much for our family as people think we have done for K-State,'" Kevin Lockett said that day while watching Sterling practice in Riverside on August 8, 2020. "Our family has been blessed beyond measure by Manhattan, Kansas."

Sterling was entering his junior season at Blue Valley High School in the fall. By the end of his high school career, Sterling would be the 10^th-rated player in the state of Kansas by ESPN, he would finish with 65 catches for 1,018 yards and 10 touchdowns, and then he would turn his tassel at Blue Valley High School, graduating from those Friday night lights to Saturdays in the Little Apple — a journey just 125 miles west along Interstate-70 to a spot that felt like a second home.

Kevin Lockett came to K-State in 1992 from Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He left K-State as a two-time All-American and set all the major receiving records in the program's history before graduating and becoming the second-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1997 NFL Draft. Aaron Lockett, Kevin's younger brother, came next in 1998. He was the No. 1 punt returner in college football in 2000, an All-American who graduated from K-State in 2001 as just the fourth player in school history to reach 2,000 receiving yards in a career, and he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tyler Lockett, Kevin's oldest son, broke his father's all-time K-State records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, he was the first four-year All-American in school history, and he was a 2014 Consensus All-American who was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. One of the most accomplished wide receivers in Seahawks history over his 10-year tenure in Seattle, Tyler is currently in his first season with the Tennessee Titans.

Each Lockett has led a different journey, each has played different years, and each got their start while proudly wearing the Powercat.

Together, Kevin, Aaron and Tyler while at K-State combined to make 603 catches.

Now the Lockett family has combined for 604.

Sterling made his first career reception in a K-State uniform last Saturday — a 13-yard reception with 1 minute, 16 seconds remaining in the second quarter of a 34-20 win over UCF at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The catch elicited some of the loudest cheers of the game from the crowd of 53,013, as many fans, along with Sterling, Kevin, Aaron and Tyler, and the rest of the Lockett family, had long waited for this moment.

"It was just such a long time coming, man," Sterling said. "It was a bunch of excitement. It was just a great feeling. The atmosphere, the fans, everything roaring, it was just truly something special."

Lockett redshirted his freshman season in 2022, then he saw action in two games as a sophomore in 2023 against Baylor and as a punt returner in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Last season, he played in 12 games as both a reserve wide receiver — playing 33 total snaps — and as a kick returner. He returned one kickoff for 11 yards against Cincinnati and one punt for 10 yards against UT Martin.

This season, the 5-foot-10, 169-pound Lockett had a 22-yard punt return against North Dakota, and he saw limited action at wide receiver in the first four games while playing behind Jayce Brown, who is considered to be the team's top wide receiver. When Brown went to the sideline early with an injury against UCF, Lockett sprang into action. He played a career-high 30 snaps against the Knights.

And he made a 13-yard reception that he and his family will always remember.

"Everything in football can be a little exciting, a little frustrating," Lockett said. "Everybody that's told me this, and I've just grown up knowing, is to just stay the course. You know your time will come. Whenever it does come, you have to be ready to take advantage of it, because you never know when it's going to come. Everything is on God's timing. Obviously, I would've liked for it to have come sooner, but that's just God's timing. Everything He does has a reason."

After the game last Saturday, Sterling was met by his parents, Kevin and Cheryl, and his younger twin brothers, Jacob and Jordan. Kevin went out and bought steaks and baked potatoes. Jacob and Jordan talked about their game on Friday night. Tyler was on the road as the Tennessee Titans traveled to face the Houston Texans on Sunday, but Sunday was an important day — it was Tyler's birthday. So, they called him.

Everything seemed perfect. And Sterling was so grateful.

"It's everything — family, friends, support, just loving the game," he said. "You know, I love it here. I'm living my dream. I'm getting to play college football at a place where I wanted to be."

Kevin Lockett, Aaron Lockett, Tyler Lockett and Sterling Lockett. Finding a stronger family lineage of wide receivers in the history of college football might be difficult. Just as the Manning family is considered to be the preeminent quarterback family in college football history, it can be argued that the Lockett family has established itself as the top producer of wide receiving talent in history as well.

"It's a blessing," Sterling said. "Being a part of that and the kind of impact we've had here and me being able to contribute and carry on that legacy, it's just a blessing. I mean, there's no other way to put it. I thank God every day for putting me in this opportunity and giving me these chances to do what I'm doing."

All Sterling prayed for was an opportunity. He received it when he took a phone call from Klieman in early August of 2020 and gained his first scholarship offer from K-State.

And as afternoon transitioned into night at Park Hill High School on August 8, 2020, and as Sterling caught his final pass at his football camp, from high above, his father peered across the football field, proud of his son. Then Kevin and Cheryl and Jacob and Jordan packed up and met Sterling on the football field with folding chairs in hand before they walked together into the gravel parking lot.

"When I look back, who knew what could happen from a scrawny little kid going to K-State in 1992 to play for a team that was mediocre at best, but that turned out to have one of college football's greatest coaches ever?" Kevin said. "We're blessed beyond measure. It'd be a pretty great story if you had a 10-year window where myself and my brother were at K-State, and then in the interim, you had this four-year window where Tyler was there.

"And then how cool would it be to wrap it all up, if there was another 10-year span where there were three more boys went through there — Sterling, Jacob and Jordan — and they had the opportunity to play at such a great university?"

Today, Sterling beams in recalling his first catch at K-State. And who knows how many footballs might come his way the remainder of the season. But he and his family don't take special moments lightly.

And this was plenty special.

"The catch felt better than you could ever imagine," Sterling said. "I just made sure I got my feet in and caught the ball and moved the chains."

In the process, Sterling moved along a proud Lockett lineage that has been a fixture at K-State for three decades.

Four Locketts. Four journeys.

Six-hundred and four pass receptions.

And perhaps more to come.

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Jayce Brown

Sterling Lockett

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