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by Mike Toone
Robert Eugene Hickerson was born February
15, 1935 in the friendly town of Trenton, Tennessee.
Through life it seems that some of that town's friendliness
wore off on him. He had many friends there, and continued
to make them through life. Unless you were playing opposite
of him on a football field. Then he was one to avoid.
In time as he played his way up the football
chain of command he caught the eyes of the Cleveland
Browns. In 1957 they drafted a twenty two year old,
then known as, Gene. Something the Browns never regretted.
Starting in 1958 and ending in 1973 the offensive guard
literally bowled people over. Along the way he played
for six consecutive years in the Pro Bowl. That was
from 1966 to 1971. In five of those years he was voted
"All Pro". Years later he was chosen by sports
writers to be on the 1960's All Decade Team.
A good choice as he was more then an American
League Football Offensive Guard, he was an on field
bodyguard. Something James Brown, Leroy Kelly and Bobby
Mitchell would all agree on. Part of the reason they
made it to the Football Hall of Fame was due to efforts
of Gene Hickerson. For these quarterbacks he made holes
where moments before one did not exist. He made sure,
more often then not, nobody touched them.
As a bodyguard wearing shoulder pads he
was the best in his time.
After his football days he became a successful
businessman and speaker. Of most note is the buying
of one hundred and thirty acres in rural Avon, Oh. In
time he built a big home for his family on ten of the
acres. The rest was sold off into what became a golf
course community. A misguided twosome once drove their
golf cart onto his property in his view. He took off,
on foot, after them, as he liked privacy. Being law
abiding he did not hurt them, but never again did golfers
make that same mistake.
The legend of Gene Hickerson was growing
on and off the football field. In time he watched the
teammates he protected get voted into the Hall of Fame.
With his AFL credentials his name came up, but he never
got enough votes. Perhaps it was the times where "flashy"
players had an edge. Even today being a lineman, no
matter how hard you work, finds trouble getting the
"flash" that goes to the backfield positions.
It is said that he often quipped he would
get to Canton whenever he felt like driving there. Those
close to him said despite his outside appearance it
did bother him. However he was happy for his former
teammates. It was thanks to those teammates, and other
former players, plus to be true others, that things
were put right. On August 4, 2007 Gene Hickerson, Cleveland
Browns number 38, went to Canton, but he did not need
a ticket to enter the Football Hall of Fame. His entry
price was paid on the football field all those years
ago.
It was sad to see that
health issues were not kind to Mr. Hickerson. Living
in a nursing home near Cleveland he deals with Alzheimer's,
vascular dementia, sleep apnea and diabetes. Despite
that he made the trip that was long in coming. As in
healthier and happier times teammates, family and friends
surrounded him. The football great was now at his long
deserved home.
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