Herman Michael Hickman (October 1, 1911 – April 25, 1958) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player and coach. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

and professionally in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...

. Hickman served as the head football coach at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

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. Coach

Robert Neyland Robert Reese Neyland (; February 17, 1892 – March 28, 1962) was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach at the Univ ...

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.'" Hickman was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

as a player in 1959.

Early years

Hickman was born on October 1, 1911 in

Johnson City, Tennessee Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it the eighth largest city in Tennessee. John ...

. Hickman went to Baylor School, where he played fullback.http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/19-04-710.pdf

Playing career

Tennessee

Hickman went to the

, playing for the

Tennessee Volunteers football The Tennessee Volunteers football program (variously called "Tennessee", "Vols", "UT", or "Big Orange") represents the University of Tennessee (UT). The Vols have played football for 130 seasons, starting in 1891; their combined record of 862� ...

team from

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

. Hickman played as a tackle during his sophomore season, but was considered small (5'10" 230 lbs) and was shifted to

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

by his junior year. He was named to

Grantland Rice Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (November 1, 1880July 13, 1954) 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. Early years Rice wa ...

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

team in 1931, on the heels of his performance in the

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

(NYU) charity game at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...

. NYU once was at the 5-yard line and ran for plays at Hickman, turning the ball over on downs at the 23. Hickman was also named to the All-Southern team in 1931, joining Vols teammate

Gene McEver Eugene Tucker McEver (September 15, 1908 – July 12, 1985) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, where he was an All-American halfback. McEver served as the head football coach ...

. 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."

NFL

Following his time at Tennessee, Hickman played for the

from 1932 to 1934. He was named an All-Pro at left guard in 1933.

Coaching career

Hickman was an assistant at

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

and the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

before earning the head coaching position at

in 1948. He led the

Yale Bulldogs The Yale Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school sponsors 35 varsity sports. The school has won two NCAA national championships in women's fencing, four in ...

to a 16–17–2 record before resigning in 1951.

Other activities

Hickman had a reputation as a great dinner speaker. He also participated in television broadcasts of football and in radio and television panel shows. As a writer, he came to be known as "Poet Laureate of the Little Smokies." He was a staff writer for ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

.'' Hickman also was a

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

known as "The Tennessee Terror", competing in over 500 matches.

Honors

Handsome Dan Handsome Dan is a bulldog who serves as the mascot of Yale University's sports teams. In addition to a person wearing a costume, the position is filled by an actual bulldog, the honor (and the title "Handsome Dan") being transferred to another upo ...

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."University of Tennessee Football Media Guide, 2006 p.118

Head coaching record

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hickman, Herman 1911 births 1958 deaths People from Johnson City, Tennessee Players of American football from Tennessee American football tackles American football fullbacks American football guards Tennessee Volunteers football players Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players All-Southern college football players Coaches of American football from Tennessee Wake Forest Demon Deacons football coaches NC State Wolfpack football coaches Army Black Knights football coaches Yale Bulldogs football coaches College Football Hall of Fame inductees College football announcers National Football League announcers