As a wide receiver from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Aaron Lockett quickly became a fan favorite at Kansas State. Lockett now spends his days as an agent and founder of Next Page Sports, but he had to get through Manhattan to get there.
From the years 1998 to 2001, Lockett recorded 137 receptions for a total of 2,400 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 17.5 yards per reception.
Crazy enough, Lockett did not make as big of an impact on offense as he did on special teams. In 2000, he was the NCAA punt return average and punt return touchdown leader, averaging 22.8 yards per return and having three punt return touchdowns.
In 1998, Lockett was also No. 3 in receiving yards with 928. Lockett was a four-time All-Big 12 selection and was selected as a second-team all-American in 2000.
The Lockett’s are a family affair at K-State, with Aaron’s brother Kevin getting to K-State before him and Aaron’s nephew (Kevin’s son) Tyler playing from 2011-2014. Tyler ranks first, Kevin ranks second and Aaron ranks fifth in the K-State all-time receiving list.
“Well, my brother went to K-State,” Aaron Lockett said. “I went to every one of his games, and I knew all of the coaches, and I kind of just got familiar with the environment.”
In his long career at K-State, Lockett played with several well-respected Wildcat athletes, such as Josh Scobey, Jerametrius Butler and Joe Hall. He also got to experience a lot of great memories with them.
“My freshman year, I got a chance to play on a team that was ranked No. 1 for a few weeks,” Lockett said. “We were also undefeated for a majority of the season, I think we were undefeated all the way up until the Big 12 Championship game, and since it was my first year playing there, I thought it was like the normal for Kansas State to be like that and it was just fun to be there.”
Even with all of the friends he had at K-State, Lockett said he never had a closer conversation than the ones he had with legendary coach Bill Snyder.
“It’s funny, my favorite coach Snyder memory isn’t even about football,” Lockett said. “My freshman year, one of my close friends committed suicide, and I was already in Manhattan and I’d been gone for about three weeks, and I remember going to Coach Snyder and having that conversation with him. Of course, I was crying and he was consoling me. I think that was the best memory I have because, at that moment, he didn’t know me by anything besides Kevin’s little brother and a three-week recruit, but at that moment, he treated me like I had been family forever and had been in the program forever.”
After his time at K-State was over, Lockett started a new journey on his own in the NFL.
“I got drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2002 draft,” Lockett said. “I stayed through training camp, then they shipped me off to San Francisco where I stayed for a couple of years then ended up playing three years in the CFL.”
As his professional career came to a close, Lockett started a new journey of his own.
“I am now a licensed NFL agent — I actually have two guys going through the draft process this year,” Lockett said. “We started our own agency called Next Page Sports. It actually launched and became official on Oct. 1, 2021.”
Aaron’s scout for talent likely began when his nephew, Tyler, started impressing the family at a young age.
“I got a chance to watch Tyler play when he was in elementary school — I thought he had it then,” Lockett said. “I think Tyler has a lot of me and his dad in him, you know? He can run and return kicks as I did, but he runs routes like his dad and he catches like his dad. So I think he really got the best of both worlds in that aspect.”
Even with the comparisons in the physical game, Aaron Lockett attributes Tyler’s success most to the mental aspects.
“Tyler is just a student of the game, and being that, has brought him great success over the years,” Aaron Lockett said. “There are just certain traits that you see, and it is a matter of putting it all together. When I was in the league, we put on a camp in Tulsa, and Tyler was a part of that camp, and we could just see it then. It was just a matter of him waiting his turn and growing into his body, and now I am probably his biggest fan, me and his dad. But, he is out there doing his thing and doing it consistently, and I am proud of him.”
The Lockett family has a lot of love for Manhattan, with two generations of Lockett’s earning degrees from K-State.
“Manhattan has a vibe to it, I love that it’s not the big city, but it’s a lot of respect and a big reputation. When you think about a college town, you should think about Manhattan, Kansas,” Lockett said. “As the Lockett family in general, we enjoy Kansas State. Tradition continues, and for me personally, I am excited for the future of Next Page Sports and what we can do for Kansas State athletics across the board, and I love being connected with all the players there.”
