DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Gene Hickerson - Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

GREAT NEWS! And long over do!

WooHoo!!! I'm so happy for him and for us!

The Sports Blitz
Sports musings and meanderings with George M. Thomas

Hickerson Gets Justice At Last

Gene Hickerson, regarded as one of the premier pulling guards of his era, finally received his just reward with election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, today.

Forgive me for saying this: but it’s about damned time! Hickerson’s list of accomplishments in the NFL is vast and impressive according to a release from the Browns:

Hickerson, who played 15 seasons (1958-60, 1962-73) for the Browns, appeared in six Pro Bowls (1966-71) and was voted an all-league selection on five occasions (1966-70). Hickerson was also named the NFL’s most outstanding blocker in 1969.

Hickerson, 72, joined the Browns as a seventh-round draft choice out of

Mississippi in 1957. His 15-year career, all with the Browns, ended in 1973 as he played in 202 games, which ranks fourth highest in franchise history, including a streak of 165 consecutive games, which also ranks fifth longest in team annals. More importantly, Hickerson was part of an offensive line that paved the way for two Hall of Famers, legendary running backs Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.

Hickerson played in every game during his career, except for the 1961 season when he missed the year with a broken leg. Known as a versatile lineman, he broke into the starting lineup at right guard his second season with the Browns in 1958 and remained at right guard through the 1971 season. Hickerson moved over to start at left guard for the final two seasons of his career from 1972-73. Hickerson helped running back Jim Brown lead the NFL in rushing in eight of his nine seasons and also helped Leroy Kelly lead the league in rushing in 1968.

And he should have been in years ago. Comedian Richard Pryor, a friend to Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, used to have a line in his stand-up routine to highlight the racism that existed in the era in which Brown played. He essentially said that Brown was really the best because he didn’t have anyone blocking for him. Brown knew that wasn’t true and said as much in numerous print and electronic interviews over the years.

But what troubles me about his long wait is that he was nearly forgotten. While tooling around my car this week and listening to ESPN Radio on XM Satellite Radio, I heard numerous hosts reel off the names of who should get in: Art Monk, Derrick Thomas and others. All great in their own right, but it showed that some of these hosts lack any semblance of perspective and appreciation of the game’s history.

Hickerson blocked for not one, but two Hall of Fame running backs. The other: Leroy Kelly. The HOF is about the best, not the very good. My fear was that because of a more recent history, some of the very good would make it ahead of Hickerson on what was reportedly his final opportunity.

They say that those who forget history are destined to relive it. It’s good to see that the 39 individuals who have voting power for the Pro Football Hall of Fame haven’t forgotten that today’s NFL was built on the blood, flesh and pain of previous players. There are some out there who still deserve this recognition.

http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/?p=49?source=rss&channel=ohio_sports

I`ll be there to cheer for ya Gene..........

Good article, but the writer neglected the 3rd Hall of Fame running back that Hickerson blacked for: Bobby Mitchell.

Congratulations Mr. Hickerson.

Welcome to the NFL Hall of Fame!



http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/ticket_policies.html

The Class of 2007 will be elected on the day before Super Bowl XLI. Ticket policies for the August 4, 2007 enshrinement ceremony will be announced in the near future.

A ticket policy for the AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game on Sunday August 5, 2007 will be determined following the announcement of the participating teams.

Former teammates on Hickerson
02.03.2007

Former teammates comment on Gene Hickerson's NFL career.

Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, who ran behind Hickerson from 1958-65:

"He was one of the best pulling guards who ever lived. He had unbelievable speed and mobility and was the best lineman we had.

"He blocked downfield, something guys today can't do. Nobody knows blockers better than the guys who ran behind him, and I for one believe he should be in the Hall of Fame. He was the best blocker on a good blocking team. The fact that it hasn't happen before is a flaw in the system."

Browns Hall of Fame running back Leroy Kelly, Hickerson's teammate from 1964-73:

"I really don't know what more Gene could have done in his career."

Browns Hall of Fame wide receiver Dante Lavelli:

"He helped Jim Brown get all the records."

Former Browns left tackle and onetime Hickerson teammate Doug Dieken, also the longtime color analyst on the team's radio network:

"When he left the game, the all-time leading rusher was Jim Brown. The fourth-leading rusher was Leroy Kelly. Those kinds of numbers add up for you.

"Gene could run with the running backs. You wouldn't see a running back catching up to him on a sweep.

"Jim Brown said he should be in there. That should be enough right there.

"He's the best guard I ever played with. I've seen guards not as good as him get into the Hall of Fame."

Former Browns left tackle Dick Schafrath, whose own 13-year career ran almost concurrently with that of Hickerson's:

"They've overlooked him for years. He should have been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago."

Robert E. Jackson, a Browns guard himself from 1975-85 and a football historian:

"He was one of the best guards I ever saw play."

Erich Barnes, a cornerback who played seven years (1965-71) with Hickerson and seven years before that against him as a member of the Bears and arch rival New York Giants:

"I don't call many players great, but Gene definitely was."

Link

A Honor that was long over due.

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I`ll be there to cheer for ya Gene..........


And I'll be there too, at your house drinking all your beer! WOOO party at Billy's!!!!!!!!!

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Not a bad idea Lee....

This sure was long overdue...but better late than never! Congratulations, Gene!

’07 HOF ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m.




By Joe Frollo Jr. Repository assistant sports editor

CANTON Fans looking to attend this summer’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremony will have to adjust their schedules.

Instead of the traditional afternoon in the sun, the Class of 2007 will be inducted at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4 at Fawcett Stadium.

The shift to prime time came about in part to relax the rush put upon Hall of Famers during a busy Saturday and help promote the event a little more, said Joanne Murray, Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival director.

“What it does is spread out the day for the current class and the returning Hall of Famers so they don’t have to go straight from the parade to the brunch to the ceremony,” Murray said. “We are thrilled for the extra exposure of being in prime time.”

Murray said the Timken Grand Parade will begin at 8 a.m., a half-hour later than its typical start. The 6 p.m. concert at Ninth Street and Market

will remain at that time, with fireworks following around 10 p.m.

“In a perfect world, we would not have two events at the same time, but we’ve talked to the people at the Hall and Mayor Creighton, and we feel we can pull it off,” Murray said.

The enshrinement will be broadcast by ESPN and the NFL Network, though the NFL Network is not carried by Canton Time Warner or Massillon Cable.

Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Bruce Matthews, Charlie Sanders, Thurman Thomas and Roger Wehrli make up the Class of 2007.

HOF GAME TEAMS SET

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints will open the 2007 NFL preseason schedule Aug. 5 at Fawcett Stadium in the annual AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game. Kickoff is 8 p.m. on the NFL Network.

The Steelers last played in Canton in 1998. The Saints haven’t been to Stark County since 1983.

You can reach Repository Assistant Sports Editor Joe Frollo Jr. at (330) 580-8564 or e-mail: joe.frollo@cantonrep.com

SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE MANY YEARS AGO. CONGRATS GENE

HOF link comparing Hickerson to other HOF guards


HOF weekend fan package info