Jess Lockwood was on top of the world in 2019.
He was a two-time PBR world champion with a seemingly limitless ceiling. But then the injury bug struck in a bad way.
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"What happened after that, I kind of dug myself into a hole," Lockwood said. "I was hurt there for a little bit, then it was snowball effect of I kept getting hurt, kept getting hurt and it took its toll on me."
That constant cycle led Lockwood into a dark place mentally, where he fell into an addiction with Adderall, a prescription drug used to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder. But some self-reflection and a strong support group helped pull him back.
"I'm open about my story. I fell into addiction. 2022 through the middle of 2024, then I came out of it. I quit cold turkey and got my life back together. It's not good to happen to anyone, but in the broad perspective of things I'm glad it happened," Lockwood said. "It's made me a better person. It's made me have a better outlook on life and be grateful for the small things and everyone that's in my life and helped me through it."
Lockwood is now sober from Adderall, and he also gave up alcohol in the process.
He missed a stretch during this season with what he attributed to some mix-ups, but that only means he'll enter the World Finals with a fresh, healthy body.
"Now it's just the having fun part to me. I still want a World Title, of course, but it's not the end of the world to me anymore," Lockwood said. "If it comes, it comes. It's all in God's plan. I'm just having fun riding bulls and enjoying life in the big picture manner of things."
Lockwood sits 20th in the world standings with just one week remaining in the regular season as he aims to add a third PBR World Title to his resume.
