He played college football for the Washington Huskies and was selected by the Titans with the eighth overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

[2] He was also named the 3A state player of the year by the Associated Press and Seattle Times, also earning first-team All-state honors from both media companies.

[3] In the 2005 Washington 3A state title game, Locker had four touchdowns and 272 total yards in a 47–12 win over Prosser High School.

In addition to quarterback, Locker played four years as a defensive back at Ferndale and was the first freshman ever to start in coach Vic Randall's 21-year career.

[6] Husky fans quickly dubbed him "Montlake Jake" and expecting him to be the savior of the recently struggling program.

[citation needed] On November 10, Locker was injured during a game at Oregon State, removed from the field by ambulance, and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis.

After tumbling into the end zone, Locker threw the ball up into the air and was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The call was seen as controversial, in that it followed the letter of the rule dictating that players who score a touchdown must hand the ball over to officials in an orderly fashion but some believe violated its spirit, because Locker's act of throwing the ball was simply an emotional reaction to a big play and not an attempt to taunt his opponents or delay the game.

[14] Against Stanford on September 27, Locker suffered a broken thumb and was sidelined for the remainder of the season, which ended at 0–12, the worst record in program history.

Tied at 13–13 late in the fourth quarter, Locker led a 68-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard game-winning field goal with three seconds remaining.

In 2010, Locker was a finalist for The Premier Player of College Football Trophy, awarded based on the votes of fans.

[21] Locker finished his college career in the Holiday Bowl with a 19–7 win over heavily-favored Nebraska, despite completing only five of sixteen passes in the game.

Twenty-eight quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the NFL draft from 2000 to 2010, but only five others had losing records as college starters: Patrick Ramsey, Kyle Boller, J. P. Losman, Jay Cutler, Josh Freeman.

In doing so, Locker passed up on tens of millions of dollars, as the new CBA between the NFL and the NFLPA would be going into effect before the 2011 season, significantly limiting pay for draftees.

[25] But there was also some disagreement in certain circles with McShay's assessment—it had been reported that Locker was advised by the NFL Collegiate Advisory Committee that he would not have received a "1st round grade.

[27][28] ESPN analyst John Clayton stated in October of Locker's disappointing senior campaign that the quarterback might fall to the 2nd or 3rd round in the 2011 draft due to his inaccuracy and poor play.

[33] Locker saw his first real playing time on November 20, against the Atlanta Falcons, replacing an injured Matt Hasselbeck.

Locker was later confirmed by Titans head coach Mike Munchak as the starter on November 9 against the Miami Dolphins.

The following week against the Houston Texans, Locker completed 17/30 of his passes for 148 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, but the Titans ultimately fell short in the game losing 30–24 in overtime.

On October 19, the ESPN website reported Locker would start against the 49ers;[39] he completed 25 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns with his first interception of the season in a 31–17 loss.

[41][42] On April 30, 2014, the Titans declined the fifth-year option on Locker's contract, which was considered unsurprising due to his history of injuries.

He played in week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and completed 66% of his passes for 266 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, with a passer rating of 111.4.

[49] He is the co-owner of a fitness center in Ferndale with former NFL punter Michael Koenen,[50] and in 2018 began taking courses in theology.