Jake Locker officially announced his retirement from pro football Tuesday at the age of 26, stating that he no longer has “the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living” after four injury-plagued seasons as a quarterback for the Tennessee Titans.
Locker was a highly-touted amateur baseball talent in high school, but he shifted all of his focus to football when he went off to the University of Washington.
Now there’s some speculation about whether the big-armed Locker might turn back to baseball and try to begin a second professional sports career. He was a pitcher and center fielder at Ferndale High.
The Angels drafted Locker in the 46th round of the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft and then picked him again in the 10th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft, so they own his baseball rights. But it doesn’t sound like they’re willing to give him a shot if he does indeed want one (Locker has been silent on the issue) ...#Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said he has “no interest” in Jake Locker as a baseball player after QB suddenly retired from NFL today.
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) March 10, 2015
Dipoto did say the Angels would release their rights to Locker if he wants to sign with a different team.