The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks have recently announced that they have Offensive Lineman Shawn Lockett returning to the team. This will be Lockett’s third season of playing arena football, all of which are with the Steelhawks.
Shawn Lockett Returns to the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks
Last year with the Steelhawks, Lockett helped his team make it to the playoffs with a 9-1 season before losing to the Columbus Lions in a last-second comeback to advance to the National Arena League (NAL) Championship Game.
The Steelhawks offensive line helped quarterback Warren Smith Jr. earn the NAL MVP in the inaugural season last year. The offense as a whole last year moved the ball a total of 2,352 yards, scored 85 touchdowns, and made three field goals. A lot of that would not happen without the reliable center that Lockett proves to be.
This season, the Steelhawks struggle on getting the ball to the quarterback from the three-point stance, which is a big reason why they lose by a big margin every game. This season, the Steelhawks struggle the most with the center-quarterback exchange.
Last year, the Steelhawks averaged a little over one sack per game, which can be improved, but still isn’t horrible.
The Future with the Steelhawks
The Steelhawks should not finish with a perfect 0-15 record, which is why they brought in Lockett. The Steelhawks shouldn’t rely on him to bring in multiple wins. The offense and defense still have a lot of work to do, but this is a great start to building a better team.
With the defense, they are doing their job, forcing turnovers. They did just that against the Jacksonville Sharks two weeks ago and the Columbus Lions last week. The Steelhawks offense can’t translate that into points.
A major issue is the height that the Steelhawks have. The average receiver is just over 5’11”, which means that the quarterback only has a small space to throw the ball. Jump balls aren’t possible and over-the-wall catches are nearly impossible.
Anything can happen with the mentality that this center brings to the team, but the Steelhawks and the fans shouldn’t get too excited.
