TYLER LOCKETT: Appreciate it. Appreciate it.
Q. Jaxon told us you're actually the one who pointed out to him a couple weeks ago he was closing in on your record and you told him you were kind of rooting for him to get it. Why do you take that approach?
TYLER LOCKETT: I mean, I think at the end of the day, man, like I wanted to be able to support him ever since that Jax became part of the team. Obviously I think, you know, when you have records, yeah, there's a part of you where you might not want that record to be broken or whatever, but records are meant to be broken and, you know, I kind of learned that even in my dad's situation when I got the opportunity to beat my dad's records and you start to understand that just over the course and time, like, things change. The game changes. You see opportunities start to change. Like, I remember when my dad told me when I broke his record, he was like, yeah, but they added playoff games or the bowl games didn't get added onto his stuff, right? But now whenever I get older, the bowl games get added on and then, like, as you get to the league, it's like, okay, you see we're starting to add on games and do all these things and we go from a running team and then we start passing the ball a lot more. So you see there's a lot more opportunities for us as receivers and tight ends to be able to get opportunities to go after these records and be able to do a lot of great things and I think that Jax has done an amazing job with his opportunities day in and day out. He's done well even at practice, being able to translate everything that he does on the field to the games and so for me, I just want to be able to be in full support. I think for me the biggest thing is if you can be able to show love and support to the people coming up, then they will be able to continue to do that, like, through and through and that's what creates a good atmosphere. That's what creates a great team or a great position group. If you are the person that's, like, I just want mine and I don't want anybody to get theirs then it becomes, okay, is this next person going to follow in that same protocol or are they going to try to change something and make it that much more better. So, I just wanted to take that approach. To show love and show support and just be there with people as they start to reach their peak and start to perform at a high level.
Q. Tyler, I know you talked about playing another year and whenever you do hang them up, how do you want to be remembered as a player?
TYLER LOCKETT: I never really cared about legacy. You know, I think for me ever since I kind of got into the bible a little bit, there was a story that talked about when people wanted to build this huge tower so they could be remembered and that's when God changed the language, so for me it was never about legacy. It was just about being able to glorify God just in me being able to play this game of football. Obviously there's a lot of benefits that come through playing this sport of football where you can do plan B and plan C to be able to prepare. You can be able to meet people and talk to people and gain relationships and connections that you never thought that you would be able to meet with or talk to if you hadn't been in this position and so obviously like the money is great. The money helps you with the financial parts of life and stuff like that, but there's also burdens and stuff that comes with the financial part as well. But for me, man, I just wanted to be able to play this game as long as I can, glorify God in it and I have been able to play ten years thus far and it's really been amazing. I saw Doug and Jermaine a couple weeks ago at one of the awards things that we had and it was crazy to hear them say like, man, I played with them what? Seven to ten years ago and so you never know how long you've really been in this game until you start to see older faces and you start to be able to realize, man, it's been six years with DK, so I'm just grateful to just be part of one organization just to be able to make it through a decade.
Q. Do you want to play next year?
TYLER LOCKETT: Yeah. Yeah, I plan on playing next year.
Q. (Inaudible) a year?
TYLER LOCKETT: I'm not the GM, buddy, so I can't make that decision. I mean, obviously, like, even when I got the chance to come here, come back this year to start this new regime and kind of build this new team that Mike wants to be able to build, I got a chance to be a part of that and I got a chance to be able to come back because I didn't know if I was going to be able to come back for this season because sometimes with a new team comes a new coach and a new atmosphere, new identity, new everything, so the fact that they brought me back, that spoke a lot of volumes and stuff like that and obviously there's things that happens within the business where they have to be able to make their decisions on what they want to do and how they want to go about things. I think for me, like, I've done what I've wanted to be able to do as far as be that player that wants to be able to stand on love and stand on support, stand on being able to be a team player. Obviously there's consequences that come with that. You know, there are times where things like that backfire because during the season, it's all about team and then in the offseason, it is about individual stats and it is about individual performances and if you lived up to the expectations or the things that we wanted from you, and so sometimes there are cons that come with being that great player or being a supportive teammate, but I have always wanted things to happen on its own. I never wanted to be that guy that had to always say, like, throw my the ball, get me the ball. Yeah, there are times where you might say, like, you don't feel as involved in stuff, like, yeah, absolutely. But I do understand why a lot of players, especially in our position as receivers do demand the ball or do say certain things to be able to get the ball because, again, in the offseason that's all that matters is what did you do as an individual? But when it comes to building a team and trying to build that championship aura of a team, it's all about team in the season. And so it's hard to be able to balance out team as well as individual because as a player, you know what happens at the end of that season.
Q. You think if there's any team in the NFL that would appreciate that in you, it would have to be this one, right? Because they know you and you've done it?
TYLER LOCKETT: Oh, yeah, I mean absolutely. I mean, being here for ten years, there has to be a lot done on my part as player. I feel like God's blessed me a lot to be a part of this team and the play for ten years. There has to be a lot up there with the belief system and place to be able to believe that somebody that's 32 can still go out there and perform and me personally, man, even all my stats and stuff may not tell the story. I've done everything they've asked me to do, and I have done it at a high level and I'm not just talking about the last nine years, I'm talking about this year. Like, I've done everything that they've asked if know more, so, yeah, the stats may not line up but that's not my story to tell. I've done exactly what was being asked of me, and so if my stats don't line up to what people may say I should have had in order to stay here, I can't do anything about that. As a player, you want to have some type of say in it within your play to say I can still play this game. I can still make these plays. I can still do a lot of that type of stuff, but there's one ball and not everybody can get the same amount of targets. So, again, for me I try to find the gratitude in this game and just the things to be appreciative of in this game because you don't want this game to divide everything that you've ever, like, achieved and everything that you've ever had within the relationships and the people because sometimes the game can tear you apart, because look at it from my perspective. I went the from the targets I got this year are the same like in my first three years, right? But then I started getting more opportunities which allowed me to be able to have better stats, but as you get older, a lot of people get to that place where the target share goes down and now people say you're having a slump year or you're having all these different types of things but they're not in those rooms of what you're being asked to do. They're not in those rooms. They still compare you to that same receiver that you were within the volume of targets, but they don't look at the stuff that's going on, everything in between.
And so, again, like with building this new team and this new regime, I wanted to be able to buy in and do whatever it is they asked me to do. So if Mike wanted me to speak to the team, I spoke to the team. If they wanted me to lead by example, I led by example. If I needed to take a backseat at times, I've chosen to take a backseat at times to let other people lead, but I felt like I did what I needed to do because with the new regime of a team, others have to be able to step up and speak. I can't just be able to try to take power away from other people who are coming into leadership roles or more of a leadership role than before. So I had to kind of pick and choose my battles and pick and choose what I wanted to do and what I didn't want to do and I felt like I've done that at a high level.
Q. So what do you think is your biggest contribution this season? Or what do you count as your biggest contribution?
TYLER LOCKETT: Honestly, I think my biggest contribution to this team has just been sacrifice. I think the whole season has been sacrifice, and it's sacrifice for the betterment of the team. It's sacrifice for the betterment of the other players. It's sacrifice for a lot of different stuff, you know. I think that's really been the whole portion of myself. So, yeah, it sucks for me as a player when you hear people say oh, he's too old or he's washed or he's not the same type of player. I promise you if you go watch the film, that's not the case, you know what I'm saying? That's just the truth, but I understand that with sacrifice does come those conversations. It does come these opinions and different types of theories so I'm cool with being able to stand on that because a lot of people in this organization and a lot of people whether it's the players or the coaches understand the sacrifice that I made to try to make this team be the best team possible that they could be.
Q. Will that go through your mind much Sunday at all, that it could be your last game with the Seahawks?
TYLER LOCKETT: Yeah, I mean, it went through my mind that the Vikings could have been my last home game here. It went through my mind that maybe this could be my last Thursday practice or my last Friday practice, you know, with being part of the team, but, again, those conversations are going to be had at the end of the season. As of right now, you know, I continue to keep on playing no matter what. So, again, like, I always tell John how thankful I am that he was able to find ways to keep me here. When Pete was here last year, I told him the same thing. I met with both of them and told them I appreciate everything that they've done for me because, again, last year I thought that may have been the last ride with being able to be here on a team and so, again, like to me there's no hostility. There's no, like, nothing. There's always love on my side of things and even though things may not have worked out with me on the field, I've won at so many other things in life that I really thank God for even putting me in a place to win like this.
Q. You've played like maybe one or two games your entire NFL career that didn't have playoff potential implications. How do you kind of approach this week where, again, you haven't really had a lot of these games?
TYLER LOCKETT: It's very weird. Obviously, like, a lot of our games, the implications was based on the last game of the season and so it was like even last year when we played Arizona, it was like, well, we need Chicago to beat Green Bay and the year before that we needed Detroit to beat Green Bay so I think it wasn't until, what... 2021 where it was like you know you're not going to the playoffs. Before that, my third year we played Arizona and we needed the Falcons to lose and so everything has been almost riding on the last game of the year, so obviously it's different, but at the same time, like, to me it still has to be something that you're playing for. Everybody wants to play for that Super Bowl but also there's something else that has to be able to keep you going when that can't be in reach. So for me, that's why I say it's always my faith because without my faith, I feel like I wouldn't have been here for ten years. I feel like my career would have been cut short and all these different types of things. Yes, I might have had motivation, but there's times that I've learned I have to learn how to play without that motivation. You had to learn to play without that same commitment and so for me, what keeps me going is my faith in God and so I'm really appreciative that I was able to find him, more so at a younger age when I was more committed.
Q. Tyler, given your faith, how important was sacrifice to others and also the community which you've done for over ten years that you've been there?
TYLER LOCKETT: Oh, I think sacrifice is a big deal. But I will say this: In the community, it's easier to sacrifice than it is to sacrifice on a football team, because in a community, you're willing to do whatever it takes to be able to gave people a chance to win at life, to be able to shrine like my foundation, the Light It Up Foundation. Every kid deserves a chance to shine, and so you're willing to do whatever it talks to be able to give kids or give people a chance to realize that their life matters just as much as anybody else's. Yeah, I might be up here doing what a lot of people love to do and see, which is entertainment, but you are also important, whether it's in your family, whether it's at school, whether it's being that teacher, being that fire fighter, whoever it is. You're just as important because we all have a role to play in this life to be able to make everything better. So when you're talk about doing things on the field, to me there's not really a loss with that, just, okay, maybe I give money or something, but at the end of the day, I'm giving money to something that I know is going to grow. Like everything is considered an investment. When you invest in somebody, you invest in their future, you invest in their present, you invest because of how you've seen their past and what you're saying is I'm banking on you. Maybe you don't win in year one or year two, but I promise you in year five or year ten, if somebody keeps investing in you, you will succeed. And so when it comes to that sacrifice on the football field again, the reason why there's consequences is because there's not a business in giving, but in a team, there is a business that comes with sacrifice and so you have to be able to accept what comes with that sacrifice, the consequences, because that sacrifice does put you in a position where now you may not be on that team no more. Now your journey may start to look different. Like, you may not see the same people anymore. You may not be able to do the same things. Yes, you may be talked about. Yes, you may be remembered for however long, but that sacrifice did come with now it didn't work out for you the way that it would have on the field. Giving outside, you're not worried about what happens to you because there's no consequences of giving and sacrificing.
Q. You've been part of so many offenses here with the Seahawks, I'm curious what do you think the next step is for this offense to grow?
TYLER LOCKETT: I think the biggest thing is just -- it's always hard when you get into your first year because you got to get everybody to buy in and I think also in regards to just how much football that I've learned and what I've seen over time is that every coach is different and so when every coach comes in, they want to be able to build their team but it's hard to build your team when you're still starting with a team that was maybe a team that you never built before so you got to come in and learn the ins and outs of the different players that are here. You got to learn the ins and outs of the new coaches that you have and you can't just be maybe the head coach that was the head coach for five, six, seven years that already knows their teams, like the 49ers or like the Rams, like you got to come here and you got to study your coaches. You got to study your players. You got to see which player has the mindset that you like, which one doesn't. What other people do you need to come in and fit the aura of the team that you want or which player do you need to get rid of? There are so many different things that I think has to be done for a head coach and for a DC and for an offensive coordinator to where they don't really get a true understanding of the people that they really need, how they need to build it until they get that year. Once they get that year, they're like, okay, I know the players that I want. I know the positions that I need to work on. I know how I need to coach these coaches. I know how I need to talk to them now because now you got that year under your belt.
Q. For a player, what does buying in to an offense look like and what does it look like when there isn't that buy-in?
TYLER LOCKETT: I think buying in as a receiver the more so like there's going to be times where you're going to be the guy that week and there's going to be other times where you're going to be a supporting cast. There's going to be other times where you got to be able to go out there and you got to be a decoy. There's going to be other times where you got to go out there and you got to be able to block. There's going to be other times where you got to go out there and go be a cheerleader but that's what it means to be a team player, is that you're willing to do whichever role it is that that team gives you each and over week, being able to buy-in to it and make the best out of it regardless of what you may want for yourself as a player, so I truly believe that when I talked about sacrifice, it means dying to yourself. They say a lot of that stuff within our faith, but you got to be able to die to yourself in order for something greater to happen or to come your way.
Q. You talked about sacrifice and what have you dean either DK or Jax's leadership grow for you to be able to take a backseat?
TYLER LOCKETT: Well, I think in general, like, DK's had a lot of success when his years and Jaxon had a lot of success even coming in. I heard a lot about him even in high school. Like one of my best friends, Dante, would be like, hey, man, this kid at Rockwall, he's a baller. It was crazy that's how old I am, right? This kid I heard about in high school is now the receiver but I think regardless of whether I have taken a backseat or not, I think that Jax has taken advantage of every opportunity whether it was me taking a backseat or not. I think that he's made amazing, incredible plays where the ball is thrown over the middle versus the Vikings and he's able to catch it like that, expecting to be able to get tackled right then and there. I think he understands how to be able to set people up when he runs routes, how to be able to get open and I do think that with DK coming on the team and with us being able to show that same love and support with each other, I do think it makes it easier for anybody to come in our room and to be able to feel like they're not being attacked or they can't step on anybody's toes in order to be successful because we truly believe that anybody can be successful based off the opportunities that they get.
And so I think we're always working on trying to be better. We all have a great relationship. We all play a video game with each other. You would think we get tired of each other from being here so long and we go home and we hop right on the game and that's the connections that we all have, is being able to talk outside the field, being able to connect and talk on the field and I think a lot of that does help us when we get out there and play because now I now I don't have to do too much. DK knows he doesn't have to do too much. Jax knows he doesn't have to do too much. We all just know we need to focus on doing our part because we know it makes it harder on the defense to scout and to figure out what's going on and then you add Noah in there and now all of a sudden we become a team that's hard to be stopped.
Q. What does it mean for you to win the Steve Largent award again?
TYLER LOCKETT: I mean, I think it's incredible because I think this year it might have been a little bit more meaningful to me just because like I said I know the sacrifices that I've made and the things I've had to accept in order to make this season work for me so I think it was always incredible. Again, it's weird to me how we got the same birthdays and we're from the same city, like, that's just so weird to me. You would never think that and then we both have been with the Seahawks and drafted by the Seahawks but always being able to see him there and talk with him, I think that's pretty dope always because he's literally like the best receiver to come out of the Seattle Seahawks, so, yeah, again, the fact that it's voted on by the team and stuff like that, it makes me feel great because the team sees the sacrifices and the things that I've made to try to make this team go and it's unfortunate that it didn't end in a playoff run or even trying to get to the Super Bowl, but the fact that it was something that was started with a foundation that's left to be built, I hope that if they do keep me here, that I'll be able to continue to build off that. If they don't, I hope that at least helps set the foundations and the structures for the next group to come in to continue to know what it means to be a great teammate.
MODERATOR: Anything else?
Q. Thank you, Tyler.
MODERATOR: Appreciate it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports