Avengers re-sign Tony Locke
July 1, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release
LOS ANGELES -- Tony Locke, who burst upon the scene last season to become a star offensive specialist for the Los Angeles Avengers, has been re-signed by the club, head coach Ed Hodgkiss announced today.
Locke (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) inked a two-year deal that will keep him with the Avengers through the 2007 season. Terms were not disclosed.
Although he did not join the active roster until the fourth game of the 2005 season, Locke led the Avengers in receiving yardage (1,182), touchdowns (27) and all-purpose yards per game (111.5). He caught 82 passes (second on the team), averaged 14.4 yards per reception and continually displayed the ability to make difficult catches look routine.
Locke was signed to the Avenger practice squad on Jan. 27, 2005. Three weeks later, as the Avengers were preparing to take on their archrivals, the San Jose SaberCats, he was elevated to the active roster and installed as the team's offensive specialist. Locke's debut got off to a rousing start as he caught three touchdowns in the first half of a 71-69 victory over the defending ArenaBowl champions at STAPLES Center. Later in the season, when the teams met once again, Locke caught eight passes for 174 yards and five touchdowns as the Avengers beat the SaberCats for the first time at HP Pavilion in San Jose.
Locke had a dramatic influence on the L.A. offense in 2005. In the first three weeks of the season, the Avengers averaged just 217.3 passing yards per game. In the 13 games that Locke has played in, L.A. averaged 263.4 yards passing per game (reflecting a 21 percent increase). The team's touchdown passes per game also went up from 4.0 in the first three games to 5.4 in the last 13. Locke had six 100-yard games in 2005 and was named the "Offensive Player of the Game" five times.
Prior to joining the Avengers, Locke had a record-breaking season in arenafootball2 (the developmental league established by the Arena Football League in 1999) with the Albany Conquest in 2004. He established a single-season Conquest record, scoring 43 touchdowns (39 receiving, three kickoff returns, one rushing) and was ranked second in the league in scoring. Locke was also among the af2 leaders in receiving with 79 receptions for 1,497 yards. He was second in the league with a total of 2,868 all-purpose yards.
Locke also played in af2 during the 2003 season, catching 22 passes for 298 yards and five touchdowns for the Cincinnati Swarm, in addition to returning 21 kickoffs for 478 yards and two scores.
In between those stints in af2, Locke began his AFL career in 2004 with the Columbus Destroyers, but played in only two games, catching five passes for 36 yards.
A two-year letterman at Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio), he played in 20 games, seeing the majority of his action on special teams. Locke finished his Buckeye career with three receptions for 29 yards and recorded 2.5 tackles. After enrolling at Ohio State on an academic scholarship, he decided to walk-on to the Buckeye football team in the spring of 1998. Locke concluded his collegiate career on an athletic scholarship in 2000, and earned a biology degree (pre-med) from Ohio State.
Born on May 19, 1978, Locke attended Urbana (Ohio) High School, where he was the football team's "M.V.P." as a senior. He earned "All-Area" recognition as both a junior and senior.
The Western Division champion Avengers went 10-6 this past season and participated in the ArenaBowl Playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Los Angeles led the AFL in offensive scoring percentage (74.4 percent) and was second in defensive scoring percentage (63.6 percent). The Avengers averaged 12,165 fans at STAPLES Center for eight regular-season home games during the 2005 season.
Season ticket packages for the upcoming 2006 campaign are on sale now. Please call 1-888-AVENGERS for more information or visit the team's official Website at www.laavengers.com.
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