Locke attended Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Arizona, where he played football for coach Bobby Green as a punter, kicker, and wide receiver. Locke attended the University of California, Los Angeles and played for the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins football team from 2008 to 2012.
He played college football at University of California, Los Angeles, and was drafted by the Vikings as the 155th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. As a senior, Locke averaged 43.6 yards on 38 punts with 10 inside the 20-yard line, kicked 47 touchbacks on 54 kickoffs, converted 29 of 32 extra point attempts, and made 11 of 20 field goals. He set school records for most field goals in a season (11), longest punt (71 yards), and longest field goal (63 yards, a state record).
Foreign his efforts, Locke was ranked Number.
1 kicker by Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.com and Number. 1 nationally at punter by scout.com.
He did not see action in his first year but later became University of California, Los Angeles"s starting punter and kickoff specialist for four seasons. He made 53 career starts with a punting average of 44.23, Number.
2 in University of California, Los Angeles history. Locke also had a 42.54% touchback rate on kickoffs.
In 2011, Locke took over for field goal and extra point duties in a few games following an injury to University of California, Los Angeles"s starting placekicker. He went 2-3 on field goals, connecting from 49 and 51 as well as converting 6 of 9 extra point attempts. NFL Draft
Following a successful collegiate career, Locke was drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
This made Locke the highest-picked punter in franchise history.
NFL senior analyst Gil Brandt said that Locke, a left-footed punter, "is every bit as good as Bryan Anger," the punter selected in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2012 NFL Draft. Locke was also noted for his kickoff abilities, having led the National Collegiate Athletic Association in touchbacks his senior year.
Minnesota Vikings
After competing with the Vikings" current punter, veteran Chris Kluwe (8 seasons), Locke earned the starting job as Kluwe was released on May 6, 2013. lieutenant is speculated that this move was made in order to make more room for the salary cap, as Kluwe was due 1.45 million in 2013.
Minnesota Vikings Franchise Records
Longest average Netto punt in a career (200 punts minimum): 38.9 (2013–present)
Locke "got hooked on punting" after attending a camp run by former NFL punter Ray Guy when he was in high school.
He listed former NFL punter Daniel Sepulveda as one of his most admirable players. Locke graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a grade-point average of 3.885 and a bachelor"s degree in economics. While at school, he spent some of his time researching athletic scholarships and helped his teammates set up personal budgets.
