Seattle Seahawks' Ricardo Lockette forced to retire due to neck injury
Thursday 12 May 2016 11:38, UK
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette is retiring six months after suffering a serious neck injury in a game at Dallas.
The team confirmed the retirement and has scheduled a news conference with Lockette on Thursday.
Lockette was knocked out and remained motionless on the field for several minutes after a hit by Cowboys safety Jeff Heath during victory over Dallas on November 1.
He was eventually strapped to a backboard, taken off the field and underwent surgery the next day to stabilise his neck.
"If one of my team-mates would have come over and pulled my arm, I would have died," Lockette said in March.
"If the returner at the time would have broke a couple tackles and they would have moved and fell on me, I would have died on that field."
Lockette has been a special teams standout for the Seahawks since joining in 2011. He has also been part of Seattle's rotation of receivers and won a Super Bowl ring with the team in 2013.
