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| Story updated (Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 5:30 p.m.) BREAKING: Evidence in Locksley Altercation Destroyed |
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
What Started It All
By Martin Salazar
Journal Staff Writer
The embarrassing 37-13 loss to Air Force the night before had Locks in a foul mood as he met with his offensive coaches on Sept. 20.
It was about 4 or 5 p.m. on a Sunday and head Lobo football coach Mike Locksley — known to his inner circle by the nickname "Locks" — was letting " 'F' bombs" fly as he and his offensive coaches reviewed footage of the team's performance in a staff room.
Locksley and quarterbacks coach Tee Martin had a heated exchange.
"Coach Locks dropped several 'F' bombs and 'MF' bombs," Martin recalled. "He then turned to coach (J.B.) Gerald and asked if he could get the F-ing play done."
"Yeah, whatever, Locks," Gerald recalls responding. He then saw Locksley turn his chair around, facing the whole staff, and he heard him say, "You mother (expletive) think y'all can ..." Locksley mumbled something else that Gerald said he couldn't understand.
Gerald, who was seated, said Locksley then got up and walked aggressively toward him.
"I am looking at him like, 'What the hell do you think you are about to do?' " Gerald said.
Offensive coordinator/running backs coach Darrell Dickey had his back to the two but noticed Locksley heading toward Gerald.
"I thought, 'What's going to happen here?' " Dickey recalled.
"Locks was heading toward Gerald (saying), 'Shut up, just shut up,' then Locks grabbed him by the shirt and started choking him," offensive tackles/tight ends coach Cheston Blackshear recalled. Dickey also saw that "coach Locks had his hands around Gerald's shirt collar."
"He snaps, literally jumps on me and starts choking me with both hands around my neck," Gerald said.
Two other assistants also witnessed choking.
Locksley "reached out and started choking him," centers/offensive guards coach Mike Degory recalled.
"Coach Locks was grabbing coach Gerald around the throat, choking him," Martin said.
Gerald said he fought to get to his feet by grabbing Locksley's wrists. He got on his feet and continued to struggle to get Locksley's hands off his neck area.
Blackshear, who was closest to the two, jumped up and tried to separate them. Martin and Degory also jumped in to try to stop the altercation, and it ended up in the hallway.
"Coach Blackshear and coach Martin both grabbed me, pulling me from coach Locksley's grasp, and as they separated us, coach Locksley swung a punch, hitting me across my mouth, creating a busted and bloody lip," Gerald said.
"I held Locks back as he was still swinging at Gerald," Degory recalled. "Locks yelled, 'Get that F out of here.' "
Parts of the written account of Martin's statement are difficult to read, but it appears to say the ruckus drew the attention of the defensive assistants, and some players witnessed part of the altercation.
Blackshear said Locksley had a cut on his face from the zipper of Blackshear's jacket and that Gerald's lip was bleeding.
Degory said Martin and Blackshear "took Gerald out of the building to calm him down." Dickey said he told them not to return that day.
Degory asked Locksley if he wanted a towel for the cut on his face. Locksley wanted to get it himself, so Degory "walked with him to the locker room so that he did not attempt contact with Gerald."
Degory and Dickey then remained with Locksley to finish up with business.
Later that night, Gerald called Albuquerque police to report the incident.
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