Herman Hickman
Encyclopedia
Herman M. Hickman was a Hall of Fame
college football
player for the University of Tennessee
and later a head football coach for Yale University
. He played pro football for the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers. He later was a TV and radio analyst and broadcaster, a writer and a professional wrestler.
for the Tennessee Volunteers football
team from 1929–1931. He was named to Grantland Rice
's All American football team in 1931 on the heels of his performance in the New York University
(NYU) Charity game at Yankee Stadium
.http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/hickmanherman.shtml Hickman was also named to the All-Southern team in 1931, joining teammate Gene McEver
. Legendary coach Robert Neyland held Hickman in hig 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.'" http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=4-hickman
Following his time at Tennessee, Hickman played for the NFL
's Brooklyn Dodgers
from 1932 to 1934. He was named an All Pro at left guard in 1933.http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/hickmanherman.shtml He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1959.
, North Carolina State and West Point before earning the head coaching position at Yale
in 1948. He led the Bulldogs to a 16-17-2 record before resigning in 1951.
Hickman was a writer, who came to be known as "Poet Laureate of the Little Smokies." He was also a staff writer for Sports Illustrated
.http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=30128
Hickman also was a professional wrestler, known as "The Tennessee Terror, having over 500 matches.http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/hickmanherman.shtml,http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=30128
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
player for the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
and later a head football coach for Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He played pro football for the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers. He later was a TV and radio analyst and broadcaster, a writer and a professional wrestler.
Playing career
Hickman came to UT from Johnson City, TN. Hickman was a guardGuard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for the Tennessee Volunteers football
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
team from 1929–1931. He was named to Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
's All American football team in 1931 on the heels of his performance in the New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU) Charity game at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
.http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/hickmanherman.shtml Hickman was also named to the All-Southern team in 1931, joining teammate Gene McEver
Gene McEver
-External links:...
. Legendary coach Robert Neyland held Hickman in hig regard. "When one (football writer) said Hickman was 'the best guard the South ever produced,' Coach General Bob Neyland
Robert Neyland
Robert Reese Neyland, MBE was an American football player and coach and and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach as the University of Tennessee...
snarled, 'Herman Hickman is the greatest guard football has ever known.'" http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=4-hickman
Following his time at Tennessee, Hickman played for the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Brooklyn Dodgers
Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)
The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field. In 1945, because of financial difficulties, the team was merged with the Boston Yanks...
from 1932 to 1934. He was named an All Pro at left guard in 1933.http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/hickmanherman.shtml He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1959.
Coaching career
Hickman was an assistant at Wake ForestWake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, North Carolina State and West Point before earning the head coaching position at Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
in 1948. He led the Bulldogs to a 16-17-2 record before resigning in 1951.
Other activities
Hickman had a reputation as a great dinner speaker.http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/hickmanherman.shtml He also participated in television broadcasts of football and radio and television panel shows.Hickman was a writer, who came to be known as "Poet Laureate of the Little Smokies." He was also a staff writer for Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
.http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=30128
Hickman also was a professional wrestler, known as "The Tennessee Terror, having over 500 matches.http://www.hickoksports.com/biograph/hickmanherman.shtml,http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=30128
Trivia
- Handsome DanHandsome DanHandsome Dan is a bulldog who serves as the mascot of Yale University's athletic teams. In addition to a person wearing a costume, the position is filled by an actual bulldog, the honor being transferred to another upon death or retirement...
VII, the Yale Bulldog mascot was donated to Hickman at age 3 but 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."
Sources
- HickokSports.com Bio
- College Football Hall of Fame Bio
- Professional Football Researchers Association
- 2006 University of Tennessee Football Media Guide
See also
- 1931 College Football All-America Team1931 College Football All-America TeamThe 1931 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1931...