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Michael Locksley’s hard line: No celebrations that mimic guns

His son died after being shot in the chest, so celebrations that reference guns are not funny or clever to Maryland’s football coach.

5 min

Maryland football coach Michael Locksley gave his players a hard rule about celebrations that mimic the use of a gun. (John McDonnell for The Washington Post)

October 16, 2024 at 2:28 p.m. EDT

When one of his Maryland Terrapins made a big play in a mid-September win against Villanova, Michael Locksley watched the kid lift up his shirt, exposing his belt. Locksley grew up in Southwest D.C. He thought he understood body language and gestures that sent clear signals in rough neighborhoods.