For the love of the game
Jordan Hicks' first love was hoops, but things change when you're the nation's No. 1 LB By Gerry Hamilton
Scouts Inc.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Linebacker Jordan Hicks (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) hasn't always been the hard-hitting, blitzing nightmare that earned him back-to-back All-State honors in the Buckeye State.
Long before reaching Under Armour All-American status, the No. 2 prospect in the ESPNU 150 had dreams of success in another sport. It was Carolina blue and white, the Dean Dome and Michael Jordan. Hicks loved basketball.
Thomas E. WhiteESPN RISE Magazine
At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Jordan Hicks has ideal size and an intense motor.
"I played basketball my whole life ever since I was little," said Hicks. "Basketball was my first love. My first time ever playing football was in fifth grade in South Carolina. I played running back and safety. Then I moved to Ohio, but didn't play that year because I missed the cut off date for the league. After that, I've played football from seventh grade until now and love it."
Lakota West head coach Larry Cox remembers his first sit down conversation with Hicks entering his freshman year.
"When he came out of his eight grade year, because I knew watching him he was going to be a big-time football player, I asked what are your dreams?" Cox said. "He said I'm going to play guard at the University of North Carolina. I said you are, well, we'll see how it rolls, but keep football in the back of your mind."
"As we got through his freshman year of football and AAU basketball, he still was there with basketball, but was thinking about football. His sophomore year he started piling up offers and seeing everybody getting taller too and knew it was time to start thinking about football. By the end of his sophomore year he decided he was going to be a college football player, but he still got offers in basketball from some reputable programs."
Four years later, Hicks has become the most heavily recruited linebacker in the country with offers from coast-to-coast and his passion has changed.