Most of coach Michael Locksley’s life could be captured within a 65-mile radius, from Ballou High School in Washington, D.C., to Towson University and College Park. He’s spent more than 35 years in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region gaining respect across the area.

Locksley never broke through for Towson football. His playing career in football wasn’t illustrious — he was never drafted or selected to an all-conference team.

Instead, he developed deep empathy through his playing experience that helped him realize his career calling. Locksley’s honesty, connectivity and diligence are the core of his character, which makes him right for the job at Maryland, former teammates, players and coaches told The Diamondback.

“He’s real, you can just sense it,” said Steve Suter, who played for Locksley during the coach’s first stint at Maryland.

Locksley followed a non-linear coaching path — he’s worked at nine schools and served as a head coach three times.

Maryland is Locksley’s dream job. He’s drawn support from former players and coaches, led the Terps to three straight bowl game victories and is 32-35 as coach.

The Terps have started 0-2 in conference play this season with just one win against a Power Four school. But people close to the long-tenured coach maintain their confidence in his ability.

Over a school break at Towson, Locksley hoped to make some extra money at the restaurant his close friend Jeff Leventhal worked at.

But Leventhal, who’s Jewish, had a surprise for Locksley. The restaurant hosted a Bar Mitzvah, a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony.

“He’d never seen a Bar Mitzvah party before,” Leventhal said. “He was like ‘What’s going on here, lifting this kid in the chair?’”

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Leventhal and Locksley formed a fast friendship with the coach as teammates at Towson. They respected each other’s grit after Locksley got into a fight during one of the team’s first scrimmages.

Leventhal believes Locksley’s strong interpersonal skills are a key ingredient in his coaching. Other coaches flocked to Locksley’s house during his time at Alabama, Leventhal said. He had more than a dozen groomsmen at his wedding, Leventhal added.

Former Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen remembered how Locksley’s personability helped recruiting. Locksley worked for Friedgen as the Terps’ running backs coach from 1997 to 2002.

Randy Starks, a former NFL defensive lineman, originally committed to Penn State despite attending high school in Maryland. Locksley talked with Stark’s mother on the phone for more than two hours, Friedgen said, unusual in college football.

That conversation didn’t guarantee Stark’s commitment, but the defensive end eventually enrolled at Maryland. Friedgen said Locksley’s character was instrumental in the Terps’ success.

Locksley’s authenticity stands out in college football. It’s why his former players hold him in such high regard.

“I was around plenty of coaches where you could tell it wasn’t genuine, where you could tell they were fake,” Suter said. “[Locksley’s] so much different.”

Former Maryland running back Bruce Perry, who played under Locksley, said the coach could relate to any player. Perry, a former NFL running back, said he “cried like a baby” when Locksley left College Park for Florida in 2003.

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Perry told Friedgen that whoever was hired for Locksley’s position wouldn’t be able to replace him. The running back considered Locksley a “father figure” because the two had a relationship built on honesty and trust.

“Our relationship didn’t change at all [after Locksley left],” Perry said. “I still held him in the same high regard.”

Growing up, Locksley had to mature quickly. He was raised in a single-parent home and his two older brothers — Bryant and Eric — spent most of their adult lives in prison. He continued dealing with hardship when his 25-year-old son Meiko Locksley was shot and killed while the coach was at Alabama in 2017.

Locksley wasn’t always open about his struggles. Aaron Bates, Locksley’s former teammate at Towson, said that he saw the growth of his friend’s emotional maturity after he had Meiko while coaching at Towson. Bates helped babysit Meiko Locksley and is a godfather to Kai Locksley, Michael Locksley’s youngest son.

“He was pretty hard-nosed on the outside, but he’s pretty compassionate with his family,” Bates said.

When Perry struggled with injuries after a breakout sophomore season, Locksley was the only Maryland coach who supported him emotionally during his recovery, he said. Perry never forgot. It’s why he drove hours to be at Locksley’s introductory head coach press conference in College Park.

Locksley’s tenure hasn’t had indisputable success. The Washington, D.C., native has yet to secure a monumental win in an effort to break through in the Big Ten.

But his commitment to the area can’t be questioned. Maryland’s self-proclaimed “biggest fan” has been that way for a while.