DANNY AND GALLANT

Tyler Lockett says being around tight-knit Seahawks good for mental health

Sep 2, 2020, 11:29 AM

Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett...

Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett discussed the strange offseason with Danny and Gallant. (Getty)

(Getty)

The 2020 season will be a season like no other for the Seahawks and the rest of the NFL, as strict protocols are in place to try and prevent players, coaches and staff from catching and spreading COVID-19 as well as that no fans will be in attendance for games for at least the first few games of the season.

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The build up to the season has been very different as well, as there were no organized team activities earlier this offseason, no free agents were allowed to visit teams, training camp started late and with heavy restrictions, and there are no preseason games.

According to one of Seattle’s star players, the culture that the Seahawks have built under head coach Pete Carroll has this team making the most out of a strange situation. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett joined 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny and Gallant Tuesday morning and discussed, among many things, how being a member of the Seahawks is helping he and many others get through the challenging times that COVID-19 has caused,

“I think we’ve got a great niche on everybody on our team,” Lockett said. “I think every single person, we know each other, we’ve spent a lot of time with each other.”

That time getting to know one another, Lockett said, has carried over both on and off the field.

“I think it really brings us together better as a team and it allows us to go out there and be more successful and it allows us to understand why other people are playing the game of football and we can be able to go play for them, play for their family and all those different types of things,” Lockett said. “I think everything we build here as a team, it brings us closer to where it’s more than just football and it’s more than just a game.”

Lockett has talked openly about mental health throughout his professional career, and he highlighted that again with Danny and Gallant. He said the strange circumstances regarding COVID-19 and recent conversations about racial injustice have developed stronger relationships with his teammates and also highlighted mental health struggles athletes and others are currently facing.

“It’s creating tight bonds and stuff like that and you know you try to focus on more of the good more than the bad that’s going on, but there’s some stuff that people don’t really take into consideration, especially when (people are) wanting sports back and thinking about how players have to be in a bubble or players have to be in quarantine,” Lockett said.”They don’t really realize the mental health aspect that it takes on people because a lot of people can’t be around their families and a lot of people are literally at home by themselves and they can’t do anything.”

Lockett pointed out that there are restrictions for the amount of people who can go into a bar or restaurant and that younger people, such as the demographic of NFL players, are essentially being told to not go out and “do nothing just to make football happen.”

“And I don’t think many people are taking into consideration just the mental health (aspect) and what it can do to people with depression and anxiety and all that different type of stuff,” he said. “So being around our teammates is very important right now.”

As far as on-field aspects of Lockett’s life, he is part of a Seahawks receiver duo that is seen as one of the best in the league with DK Metcalf. Lockett said the two are very competitive with one another in practice and that he’s impressed with his young teammate heading into his second NFL season.

“You can really see the growth that he’s (had) as a player and how (much) better he’s been getting and I think I’m looking forward to going out there with him,” Lockett said. “Everybody transitions and becomes a bigger focal point going into their second year and it’s really exciting to see how they are their first year and now what they’re going to do their second year. Everything I’ve seen and what other people have seen – players, coaches, even our teammates on the other side of the ball – they see how tremendous he is on offense and all that different type of stuff, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the season has in store for him.”

Metcalf, who had 900 receiving yards as a rookie, may ultimately surpass Lockett as the No. 1 receiver for the Seahawks, but the veteran still appears to be quarterback Russell Wilson’s favorite target. Lockett said he and Wilson are in sync because they have a pretty similar mindset.

“I just think it comes down to savvy football,” he said. “I feel like you can teach somebody stuff when it comes to football but a lot of football is just about instinct and feel, and I think that maybe it’s just we both have great instincts and we kind of understand what the other person is thinking. So it makes it a little bit easier because you’re not just playing football that’s based off of rules and people teaching you and telling you what to do.  It’s just playing off of what you feel is right.”

Listen to the full interview with Lockett at this link or in the player below starting at the 35:18 mark.

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Tyler Lockett says being around tight-knit Seahawks good for mental health