 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1911-10-01)October 1, 1911 Johnson City, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | April 25, 1958(1958-04-25) (aged 46) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1929–1931 | Tennessee |
| 1932–1934 | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| c. 1935 | Wake Forest (line) |
| c. 1940 | NC State (line) |
| 1943–1947 | Army (line) |
| 1948–1951 | Yale |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 16–17–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1959 (profile) | |
Herman Michael Hickman (October 1, 1911 – April 25, 1958) was anAmerican football player and coach. He playedcollege football at theUniversity of Tennessee and professionally in theNational Football League (NFL) for theBrooklyn Dodgers. Hickman served as the head football coach atYale University from 1948 to 1951, compiling a record of 16–17–2. He later was a television and radio analyst and broadcaster, a writer, and a professional wrestler.
CoachRobert Neyland held Hickman in high regard. "When one (football writer) said Hickman was 'the best guard the South ever produced,' Coach General Bob Neyland snarled, 'Herman Hickman is the greatest guard football has ever known.'"[1] Hickman was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1959.
Hickman was born on October 1, 1911, inJohnson City, Tennessee.[2] Hickman went toBaylor School inChattanooga, where he playedfullback.[1]
Hickman went to theUniversity of Tennessee, playing for theTennessee Volunteers football team from1929 to1931. Hickman played as atackle during his sophomore season, but was considered small (5'10" 230 lbs) and was shifted toguard by his junior year.[1]
He was named toGrantland Rice'sAll-America team in 1931,[3] on the heels of his performance in theNew York University (NYU) charity game atYankee Stadium. NYU once was at the 5-yard line and ran four plays at Hickman, turning the ball over on downs at the 23.[1] Hickman was also named to theAll-Southern team in 1931, joining Vols teammateGene McEver.
Describing coach Neyland's penchant for defense, Hickman said "If Neyland could score a touchdown against you he had you beat. If he could score two, he had you in a rout."[4]
Following his time at Tennessee, Hickman played for theNational Football League'sBrooklyn Dodgers from 1932 to 1934. He was named an All-Pro at left guard in 1933.
Hickman was an assistant atWake Forest University,North Carolina State University and theUnited States Military Academy before earning the head coaching position atYale University in 1948.[5] He led theYale Bulldogs to a 16–17–2 record before resigning in 1951.
Hickman had a reputation as a great dinner speaker. He also participated in television broadcasts of football and in radio and television panel shows.[6][7] As a writer, he came to be known as "Poet Laureate of the Little Smokies." He was a staff writer forSports Illustrated. Hickman also was aprofessional wrestler known as "The Tennessee Terror", competing in over 500 matches.
Handsome Dan VII, the Yale Bulldog mascot was donated to Hickman at age three, but the dog proved to have a bad temper, which suited him better in his next position as a watchdog on a Florida estate.
The Herman Hickman Scholarship was "(e)stablished by UT alumni and friends in 1958 following the death of Herman Hickman... This graduate scholarship is awarded to varsity athletes in the field of their choice. The recipient currently receives $1,000 per semester."[8]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Bulldogs(Independent)(1948–1951) | |||||||||
| 1948 | Yale | 4–5 | |||||||
| 1949 | Yale | 4–4 | |||||||
| 1950 | Yale | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1951 | Yale | 2–5–2 | |||||||
| Yale: | 16–17–2 | ||||||||
| Total: | 16–17–2 | ||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
