2006

Lake's Hie

0

By Robbie Robertson._·__ n1 ~(~ R, J

In high school at Lake, lvon Hick– mon was your average standout playet: After a standout career with the Hor– nets. Hickmon was like many players who come from smalll\.lississippi high schools. He was simply a good player at a small high school. So when it came time to make a deci– sion about college, the best otfcr that Hickmon had wa,:, an offer to walk on at East Central. East Central typically offers sewral area players the opportunit) to wall< on and try ancl ~arn a roster spot. ''That was pretty hard.·· Hiclnnon said. "I thought I was a prettv good football pla~·er in lugh school.· 1 \\as kind of disappointed when l didn't get a scholarship offer from any bod~~ .. That brought Hickmon to the point that either makes or breaks playet s. the point where they can either hang up their cleats or get to work and try to get bette1: So Hickmon took the opportunity to walk-on. He made the team and was one of 10 players that East Cenoal coach Terry Underwood decided to red-shili for his fre::;hman season. ·'I never lost confidence in mv abili– ties or what I could do." Hickmon said. ''After. getting out here and working, I thought I belonged. Coach Underwood kept on telling me that if T got in here and worked hard that I would have an opportunity to start in the spring, which I did. It's not quite the way I would have wanted it. but it has turned out for the best.'' For Under,Nood and his staff, the process of recruiting and evaluating players is an inexact ::;cience