.jpg) Hickerson in 1979 | |||||||||
| No. 66 | |||||||||
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| Position | Guard | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1935-02-15)February 15, 1935 Trenton, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | October 20, 2008(2008-10-20) (aged 73) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Trezevant (TN) | ||||||||
| College | University of Mississippi | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1957: 7th round, 78th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Robert Gene Hickerson (February 15, 1935 – October 20, 2008) was an American professionalfootball player who was anoffensive guard for 15 years with theCleveland Browns of theNational Football League (NFL) from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1973. Hickerson was a six-timePro Bowler from 1965 to 1970. He was inducted to thePro Football Hall of Fame on August 4, 2007.
Hickerson was born on February 15, 1935, inTrenton, Tennessee located inGibson County, but played fullback at Trezevant High School in neighboringCarroll County.[1][2] He and his brother Willie played together on Trezevant's football team, and would go on to play football together in college, including in theSugar Bowl.[3]
Hickerson became a tackle at theUniversity of Mississippi (Ole Miss). He was recruited to Ole Miss byJunie Hovious.[4] Per the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Hickerson was considered one of the best offensive linemen inSoutheastern Conference (SEC) history at the end of his collegiate career.[1]
Hickerson's 1955 Ole Miss team won the SEC title, and on January 1, 1956, the team won theCotton Bowl overTexas Christian University. Hickerson served as co-captain on the 1957 Ole Miss team, and was a consensus All-Southeastern Conference and All-South choice. On January 1, 1958, Ole Miss played in theSugar Bowl, defeating theUniversity of Texas 39-7. During his three varsity years, Ole Miss's record was 10-1, 7-3 and 9-1-1. Hickerson was voted onto the All-Time Sugar Bowl Team.[5]
Hickerson played in theSenior Bowl and theChicago College All-Star Game. In 1979, he entered theMississippi Sports Hall of Fame, and in 1988, he was selected to Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame. In 1993, Ole Miss fans voted Hickerson onto its Team of the Century (1893-1992).[5]
Gene was drafted in the seventh round of the1957 NFL draft by the Browns. He was promptly shifted from tackle to the guard position on the offensive line in 1958 to better utilize his speed, which was unusually fast for a lineman and made him valuable as a pulling guard. He originally was used as a "messenger" guard by CoachPaul Brown, or a guard that delivered the plays in the huddle, while blocking forHall of FamersJim Brown,Bobby Mitchell, andLeroy Kelly. But after three seasons in the league, he broke his leg in 1961 and fractured the leg again later in the season while watching a game from the sidelines.[1][5][6]
After missing two games in 1962, he recovered from the injury and never missed another game in his professional tenure. Hickerson only earned accolades after Jim Brown had retired and he was blocking for Leroy Kelly, but he earned first-team All-NFL honors five straight seasons from 1966 to 1970 and was voted to six consecutivePro Bowls from 1966 to 1971. During his career, Hickerson's Browns never experienced a losing season and was a starter in four NFL title games, including a 1964 NFL Championship win over theBaltimore Colts 27–0. During Gene's 10 pro seasons, the Browns featured a 1,000-yard rusher every season but one in the era where the NFL season consisted of 14 games. They also had the NFL's leading rusher seven seasons of those ten.[1]
He was elected to the Browns' legends team[7] and theNFL 1960s All-Decade Team.[8] In 2003, he was named to theProfessional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's inaugural HOVG class.[9]
Hickerson was inducted into theNational Football League Hall of Fame in 2007.[1] Jim Brown, one of the greatest college and professional football players of all time,[10] and the first person selected to the NFL's100th Anniversary team,[11] considered Hickerson "'the greatest downfield blocker in the history of pro football.'"[6]
In 2007, during his induction at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and already suffering from the health problems that plagued the final years of his life, includingdementia,[12] Hickerson was brought onstage in his wheelchair, propelled by Bobby Mitchell, Jim Brown, and Leroy Kelly. It was announced as "one last time, Gene Hickerson leads Bobby Mitchell, Jim Brown, and Leroy Kelly."[13] He was inducted by his friend and former teammate at the University of Mississippi and theCleveland Browns,Bobby Franklin.[14][15] His hall of fame bust was presented to Ole Miss in 2013.[6]
On October 20, 2008, Hickerson died just outsideCleveland, Ohio.[16][17] The Browns added a "GH" tribute badge to their helmets for the 2008 season in his honor.[18] The question has been raised as to whether football relatedchronic traumatic encephalopathy contributed to his dementia and death.[14]
Media related toGene Hickerson at Wikimedia Commons