Having studied at two of the premier academic institutions in Harvard and Cambridge, competed at a Division-I level for American Football, won a wrestling state championship, and an international Jiu-Jitsu tournament while having interned at a multi-billion-dollar global investment firm, one might wonder how this is at all fathomable. Well, in the case of Brock Locnikar, these are lived experiences - a man of many talents, you could say. Labelling these accomplishments as outstanding would be an understatement and goes to show the level of all-around talent that Cambridge students have to offer. Fortunately, earlier this week, I sat down with Brock to discuss the keys to achieving this success and the adversity he has faced.
Growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona, Brock Locnikar participated in a variety of sports, including combat sports such as jiu-jitsu and wrestling. He reflected: “It prepared me for a lot of other sports. It also funnelled me into taking accountability and to withstand adversity.” During high school, the current Lucy Cavendish management student focused on wrestling, winning the Arizona state championship and becoming a Greco All-American in junior year. Alongside this, he picked up American football in sophomore year, and while he knew football recruitment was a huge thing, he never thought he would play College football. However, this all changed when film of him playing linebacker started to gain traction. “Since I was a kid, my parents always wanted me to go to an Ivy, so I was really happy when I committed to Harvard after my junior year of high school.” This opportunity to play Division I College sport came about after being named Arizona linebacker of the year in 2019 and the state leader in tackles made for two consecutive years.
“It became a process of rinse and repeat both in the classroom and on the pitch.”
At Harvard there was, of course, a transition, being a very different environment from Arizona. “I definitely learnt some lessons in my first year, but rolling into my later years, I wanted to really focus on my grades and keep them as high as possible. It became a process of rinse and repeat both in the classroom and on the pitch.” During college, Locnikar suffered a significant setback as he had a nasty knee injury, which kept him out of action for much of junior year. However, in true Locnikar style, he bounced back to play in several important games in his senior year, notably against the University of Pennsylvania: “I was able to make big tackles against their heavy running offence. Being from special teams and defence, it was important that I made an impact.” In fact, Locnikar was on the Harvard roster that tied the Ivy League Championship with Yale.
Away from football, Locnikar had other extracurricular successes during his college years, including taking part in (and winning!) an MMA fight, while also taking six months out of his degree to work at Mubadala Investment Company in Abu Dhabi. During his time in the Middle East, he won the 2023 Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro Tour and placed second at the Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Jiu Jitsu Championship. It’s clear that even before coming to Cambridge, he had a CV which many would dream of.
Graduating with a 3.72 GPA from Harvard, he arrived at the Judge Business School in Cambridge with both academic and sporting intent. Adding yet another arrow to his bow, Locnikar tried out rugby for the first time: “I was totally welcomed by everyone in Cambridge University Rugby Club. My first game against the Royal Air Force U23s and I scored my first try, as well as getting my first rugby concussion! I have played in the front row, flanker, and winger so far. I am a tackler by profession, and I really like the rucks and the dirty parts of the game, but ultimately, it’s a learning curve with everything. The best thing about rugby is being able to throw your body on the line for your teammates and then celebrating as a team afterwards.”
As well as combining rugby with his management degree here at Cambridge, Locnikar has also recently featured for Cambridge’s American Football team: “Last week I had a rugby game on Saturday and a football game on Sunday, so managing my body has been a big struggle.” This amount of contact sport means that recovery is important for avoiding injury, getting up the next day and competing to the best of your ability. As Locnikar notes: “After any event, I will always stretch to try to keep my muscles loose. Active training and sleeping have been the most important things for me. I am a huge sleeper. I will sleep 13 hours if I have to. It is just so helpful and lets my mind just come back when I need that clear, fast-acting brain. I also feel like I now withstand a lot more on the pitch by hitting the sauna and drinking the right amount of water.”
“My Mom hates the amount of contact sport that I do.”
Studying at arguably two of the most competitive academic environments in the world, it was particularly interesting to hear Locnikar’s insight when comparing Harvard and Cambridge: “I found Cambridge to be a bit more analytical. It is very A to B and a progressive learning environment. Cambridge is very back-heavy. I would say it’s a lot more intense when the intensity comes, but there are more ebbs and flows. Harvard is a bit more sporadic with a liberal arts education style: you choose your course based on your interests. It’s not a linear progression, and there’s greater focus on dialogue. Seminars took up a lot of my day. There is more why than how.”
Behind his reasoning for applying to Cambridge, Locnikar stated: “I felt a personal responsibility to get to know the country which ‘gave birth’ to the country I am from. To experience the culture here was something on my bucket list and helps me understand what ‘being American’ is.”
As Locnikar graduates from Cambridge this summer, Locnikar revealed his plans and aspirations post-Cambridge: "I have always had trouble working on one thing at a time. First and foremost, I would like to work for the investment fund Mubadala in Abu Dhabi, where I have completed several internships, because I love the environment and my colleagues there. I also love start-ups. I have been working on this tech software with one of my old mates from high school, and my goal would be to have a career, but also on the side work on my own entrepreneurial endeavours.” Faced with the prospect of giving up sport, Locnikar lamented: “Currently, my Mom hates the amount of contact sport that I do. Whether it is being in a team environment or testing your athletic limits, there is something so special about that. It’s hard to give that up, but my body is starting to break down. Don’t remind me that my time may be over!”
It is evident that Brock Locnikar has an incredibly bright future ahead of him, and he epitomises the talent, promise, and hard work typically associated with Cambridge. While it is impossible to predict the future, a smart betting man would put their money on the former Harvard linebacker achieving extraordinary things in life.
