| No. 17 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Running back/Safety |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1965-11-16)November 16, 1965 (age 59) Media, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Glassboro (Glassboro, New Jersey) |
| College: | Holy Cross (1984–1988) |
| NFL draft: | 1988: 9th round, 236th pick |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at ArenaFan.com | |
Gordon Carl Lockbaum[1][self-published source] (born November 16, 1965) is an American formercollege football player, who was a standouttwo-way player (playing both offense and defense) inNCAA Division I-AA.
Lockbaum was raised inGlassboro, New Jersey, and spent his prep years atGlassboro High School where he competed in football, baseball, and wrestling; he graduated in 1984.[2] Lockbaum attended theCollege of the Holy Cross inWorcester, Massachusetts, from 1984 to 1988, where he playedwide receiver andhalfback on offense,defensive back on defense, and was akick returner onspecial teams.[3]
Lockbaum was a startingcornerback during his freshman season, and moved tostrong safety as a sophomore. Before his junior season, the Holy Cross coaching staff (head coachMark Duffner, offensive coordinateTom Rossley, and defensive coordinatorKevin Coyle) decided to use Lockbaum on both offense and defense. He became the first two-way player sinceLeroy Keyes ofPurdue in 1968.
In Lockbaum's junior season of 1986, he rushed for 827 yards on 144 carries, caught 57 passes for 860 yards, and scored 22 touchdowns on offense; on defense he had 46 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and one interception; on special teams he returned 21 kickoffs for 452 yards.[4] In a game againstDartmouth he scored six touchdowns,[5] and in a game againstArmy he was on the field for 143 of 171 total plays.[6] He was namedWTBS college football player of the year,[4]New Jersey Sports Writers Association college player of the year,[7] and finished fifth in theHeisman Trophy balloting.[8]
In his senior season of 1987, he rushed for 403 yards on 85 carries, and caught 77 passes for 1152 yards, amassing 2041 all-purpose yards and again scoring 22 touchdowns,[9] while continuing to play defense and special teams. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting,[10] second in theMaxwell Award voting,[3] and was runner-up for the inauguralWalter Payton Award (Division I-AA player of the year).[11] After the conclusion of the regular season, Lockbaum was selected for three all-star games; theSenior Bowl, theEast–West Shrine Game, and theBlue–Gray Football Classic. He appeared in all three games, seeing the most action in the Shrine Game, where he played five positions (cornerback,free safety, strong safety,fullback, and wide receiver).[12]
Lockbaum was a two-time First Team All-America selection (1986 and1987) as adefensive back. He still holds several Holy Cross offensive records, including most touchdowns in a season and most points in a season (22 and 132, respectively, accomplished in both 1986 and 1987).[13] Lockbaum was inducted into the Glassboro High School Hall of Fame in 1989,[2] the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1993,[14] theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2001,[3] and theECAC Hall of Fame in 2017.[15]
Lockbaum was selected in the1988 NFL draft by thePittsburgh Steelers in the ninth round, and played for them during the preseason as arunning back, but was released by the team in August of that year.[16][17] In 1989, he was signed by theBuffalo Bills, who moved him tosafety, but he was again released before the start of the regular season.[18] In 1994, he played briefly for theMassachusetts Marauders of theArena Football League.[19]
Lockbaum received a degree ineconomics from Holy Cross, and became an executive for an insurance company.[20] His son, also nicknamed Gordie,[1] playedshortstop in the2002 Little League World Series for the Worcester team that reached the US championship game,[21] and later attendedAmherst College where he was a defensive back on the football team.[22]