S Donnie Nickey (Official thread)

[Muck]

At least not with your right hand man. Jab with the left and wait for the cavalry

Dispatch

 

[Buckskin86]

Extra points
Donnie Nickey's sack was the first of his career.

Jackson Sun - www.jacksonsun.com - Jackson, TN

 

[Buckskin86]

No 'I' in perfect
Teams that go for all the glory tend to share fundamental qualities of teamwork, desire
Sunday, February 3, 2008
By Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Donnie Nickey didn't exactly see it coming -- NFL teams just don't go undefeated in this era of free agency-induced parity -- but that's not to say he didn't catch an early whiff of pending perfection.

There was something familiar about the fragrance when New England played Nickey and the Tennessee Titans in the 2006 regular-season finale, something Nickey had sniffed out four years earlier as a senior safety during Ohio State's 14-0 run to the national championship.

"We made sure we were all in it to win it," he said of the '02 Buckeyes.

The Columbus Dispatch : No 'I' in perfect

 

[Buckskin86]

Other Titans hitting the free agent market today are tight end Ben Hartsock and receiver Eric Moulds on offense. On defense there are linebackers Gilbert Gardner and Rich Scanlon, safety Donnie Nickey and defensive back Chidi Iwuoma.

Murfreesboro and Rutherford County news from The Daily News Journal - www.dnj.com - Murfreesboro, Tenn.

 

[Buckskin86]

Titans' free agent Nickey to visit Steelers
By Terry McCormick, [email protected]


Titans free agent safety Donnie Nickey is expected to visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers this week and could make a trip to Buffalo as well.

Nickey, a backup strong safety and one of Tennessee?s top special teams players over the past five seasons, became an unrestricted free agent for the second year in a row. Last year, he elected to re-sign a one-year deal with the Titans.

?We?ve got a visits a couple of other teams planned,? agent Jeff Chilcoat said. ?He?s supposed to go to Pittsburgh this week and we are trying to get one scheduled to Buffalo.?

Despite Nickey?s foray into the free agent market, he remains a player the Titans have interest in bringing back, primarily because of his special teams? prowess.

?We haven?t talked in about week, but it my understanding that they still have some interest in having him back,? Chilcoat said.

Titans' free agent Nickey to visit Steelers on Nashville City Paper

 

[Buckskin86]

Titans Re-Sign Safety Nickey
Staff Report March 25, 2008
The Titans have agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent safety Donnie Nickey.

''We?re excited to keep Donnie on our roster,'' Titans General Manager Mike Reinfeldt said. ''He is a veteran player we can rely upon to work hard, help our depth at safety and be a leader on special teams.''

Nickey [6-3, 210] has appeared in 76 career games with six starts for the Titans and has notched 36 tackles [30 solo], a sack, three quarterback pressures and a pass defensed in five NFL seasons.

The Ohio State product is a major contributor on special teams and has registered 51 career special teams tackles, including a career-best 16 special teams stops in 2006. Nickey is also known for his durability, having played in 63 consecutive regular season games.

Last season, he appeared in all 16 games and tallied eight special teams tackles, in addition to registering his first career sack in defensive play.

Titans Radio: Titans Re-Sign Safety Nickey

 

[Buckskin86]

Summer no holiday for college coaches, high school football prospects
By Bill Conley
Scouts Inc.
Updated: May 27, 2008

Tom Hauck/Icon SMI

Before he was a standout on OSU's 2002 national championship team, Donnie Nickey was a sleeper prospect at a Columbus summer camp.

There is the chance a high school player can make a name for himself and be put on a school's recruiting radar if he performs well at a camp. Top performers could even end up with a scholarship offer. Such was the case in 1999 at our Ohio State summer camp.

There was a senior to be from a very small rural high school in central Ohio who did practically everything for his team. He played offense, defense, special teams and was even their punter. He looked very good on film but the competition wasn't the greatest. He came to our camp and ran a 4.45 40-yard dash and was one of the top two athletes at the camp out of 1,500. Even though he had been recruited by just a few smaller schools, we wound end up offering him a scholarship in the fall.

His name is Donnie Nickey, and he became a four year starter, team captain, member of the 2002 national championship team and would be drafted in the third round by the Tennessee Titans. Nickey has already played five seasons with the Titans and is an exceptional young man. If we would not have had the chance to evaluate Nickey at our summer camp, we probably wouldn't have offered him a scholarship. It worked out well for us and for Donnie.

ESPN - Summer no holiday for college coaches, high school football prospects - Insider

 

[Buckskin86]

Donnie Nickey (7) ? He?s been a standout for years on STs but there?s a good chance he may not make the team this year. Nickey plays on the kick coverage team, is the protector on the punt team, and plays on the kick return team as well. If he makes the roster again this year, it will be because of his abilities on teams play, not for being a safety. Besides his seven ST tackles, he also had a fumble recovery last season.

Total Titans | MVN - A Tennessee Titans blog ? Blog Archive ? Titans Special Teams Analysis

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I still cannot believe Nickey is still in the NFL...........not the most talented guy, but obviously he is a hard worker.

Link

?Donnie Nickey is a great special teams player. Donnie (who also plays backup safety) is the exception as he is a solid, experienced special teams player ? a great blocker and tackler who plays every time special teams takes the field.?

 

[Buckskin86]

Titans Q&A with Donnie Nickey
TITANS Q&A DONNIE NICKEY

The sixth-year safety from Ohio State is the team's third-leading special teams tackler with 11 stops.

Who has been the toughest kick returner or punt returner you've faced this season?

"I've faced a lot of good kick returners. Leon Washington from the Jets, Devon Hester (Bears) and this week, we have Joshua Cribbs."

What's the hardest hit you've delivered on special teams?

"I haven't taken one this season, but I'd have to say on a crack back block when you swing behind the double team and hit somebody when they're not looking, put them on their backs."

Who is the biggest jokester of the defensive backs?

"It's got to be Chris Hope. He's always messing around. And he's always getting Cortland (Finnegan) going. You gotta love him though."

Who is the most eclectic guy?

"Eclectic? Man, we're all kind of eclectic. I'm a little different. We're all a little eclectic in our own ways. We have a good chemistry. We all mix together well."

What makes you eclectic?

"I like different things. I have different hobbies. ? I like to duck hunt, like to fish a lot. I like to do a lot of different stuff."

What memories do you have of the 2003 national championship game?

"I went to the playoffs my first year (in the NFL) after that. I realized after that there was something bigger than the national championship game in college. To get to the Super Bowl, that's the taste I want."

Titans Q&A with Donnie Nickey | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean

 

[Buckskin86]

Nickey defends hit: Safety Donnie Nickey was flagged for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth quarter after leveling Bills tight end Jonathan Stupar across the middle.

"That's what I am paid to do, that is my job, to make hits like that,'' Nickey said. "If you see that on film, the quarterback is not going to throw that ball. If that happens 10 more times, I am going to do the same thing.''

Titans' trick stuns Bills | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

 

[Buckskin86]

NFL hits two Titans in wallet over tackles
By Jim Wyatt ? THE TENNESSEAN ? August 13, 2009

The NFL fined safety Donnie Nickey and linebacker Ryan Fowler $5,000 each for hits in Sunday's 21-18 win over the Bills in the Hall of Fame game at Canton, Ohio.

Both players said they planned to appeal.

"I barely hit the guy,'' said Fowler, who was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness after hitting Bills running back Xavier Omon out of bounds. "Obviously they are very serious about player safety and think that is important. It is going to be a little bit of a gray area as far as toeing the line between aggressive play and dangerous play. I felt I was in the right, and they didn't.

"Obviously I didn't try to be nasty on the play. I was just trying to make sure the guy got out of bounds. He didn't fall down or anything.''
Nickey was flagged for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth quarter after he leveled Bills tight end Jonathan Stuper across the middle.

Nickey said the fine didn't surprise him.
"I saw a tape of it, and I wasn't aiming for his head," Nickey said. "My shoulder pad hit his head and he brought his head down to protect himself. I am playing football ? that is my job.''

NFL hits two Titans in wallet over tackles | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Column: Titans create niche for Donnie Nickey on special teams

Commentary by Joe Biddle ? THE TENNESSEAN ? August 20, 2009

Donnie Nickey doesn't watch the TV hit Survivor.

Why should he? The veteran safety is a real life NFL survivor.
Entering his seventh season with the Titans, Nickey has made a career of playing on special teams.
It's the job no one wants, but Nickey thrives on doing the stuff known as dirty work. It is how he has managed to stay in the NFL this long.
"It seems like time goes by so fast,'' Nickey said after Tuesday night's practice. "I have seen a lot of people come and go.''
Sometimes it's not all about talent and skill sets. Sometimes a guy like Nickey shows up with an oversized heart and lays it all on the line on kickoffs and punts.
"Donnie Nickey is a special teams guru,'' Coach Jeff Fisher said. "He does anything you ask. I think he's the most underrated special teams player in the league.''
Nickey can't explain how he has lasted this long. Every season at cut-down time, he manages to make the team.
"I live on the bubble every year, but I've been consistent and ? knock on wood ? injury free,'' Nickey said. "I'm also lucky that Coach Fisher is my coach.''
Nickey smiled.
"I've also been cheap labor,'' he said.
Cont...

 

[osuteke]

Can't believe he's already entering his seventh season. Props to him for being a NFL veteran.

 

[Buckskin86]

Once again, Titans' Nickey plays free agent waiting game
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
By Terry McCormick

In the NFL, Donnie Nickey is a survivor.

Through seven pro seasons now he has made it as a Tennessee Titan, primarily because of his work on special teams.

In those seven seasons, Nickey has just seven career starts at safety, including one this year when Michael Griffin was shaken up on the opening kickoff against Indianapolis. The other six came in the 2004 season.

Twice before Nickey has been a free agent. In fact, in his rookie season, he was cut from the roster for one week when the Titans had issues and needed an extra punter.

But Nickey has always found his way back to the Titans, and for the past few years has been Tennessee?s special teams captain as well.

?This is the third time it?s been up. I?ve signed for one year and two years, so I?ve never really had any type of job security,? Nickey said of having been on the free agent market after the 2006 and 2007 seasons as well.

Over time, he has learned not to let things affect him. Of course, there is a long line of Titans free agents this off-season as Nickey is one of 11 certain unrestricted free agents, with six other players? fates (restricted or unrestricted) hinging on the status of the collective bargaining agreement.

?The first time it happened, I got nervous. There?s a lot of uncertainty in things, but that stuff is not really in my control,? Nickey said. ?I?m just going to let the powers that be decide what to do, weigh my options when it comes time and if I have my choice, I always would come here. We?ll see what happens.?

After the ?07 season, Nickey visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, but soon after that visit, he wound up signing a new deal to remain a Titan. His agent Jeffrey Chilcoat said he and the Titans have had some brief dialogue about Nickey?s status, and that he hopes talks will pick up in about a month or so.

?We?ve communicated, but it?s way premature to know what they?re going to do on Donnie. He sure loves Tennessee. He?d love to come back. Despite offers in the past, we?ve always wanted to make sure he comes back to Tennessee, because he really loves the community,? Chilcoat said.

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/sports/once-again-titans-nickey-plays-free-agent-waiting-game