Akiem Hicks: Full Profile and Scouting Report

AKIEM JAMAR HICKS

Defensive Tackle

University of Regina Rams

#99

6' 4.5" - 324 lbs

Elk Grove, California

Louisiana State University

Sacramento City Community College

Del Campo High School

Local Links Round-Up

New Orleans Saints take defensive tackle Akiem Hicks in third round of NFL draft | NOLA.com
Nakia Hogan - After waiting nearly 27 hours from the start of the draft, the New Orleans Saints finally got to make a selection Friday night.

Saints Draft Former LSU Recruit Akiem Hicks In Third Round | sportsnola.com
Brian Allee-Walsh - With their first pick of the 2012 NFL draft coming deep in the third round Friday night, the 89th overall selection, the Black and Gold targeted University of Regina defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, 6-4 5/8, 318.

New Orleans Saints take chance on former LSU recruit Hicks in third round | wwltv.com
Bradley Handwerger - During long eight-hour days in a Direct TV call center several, Akiem Hicks used to wonder whether he would ever play football again.

Saints take DT Hicks in third | The Advocate
Sheldon Mickles - After signing a defensive tackle and three linebackers in free agency, the New Orleans Saints continued their efforts to upgrade that side of the ball with their first and only pick in the draft Friday night.

Saints Draft Akiem Hicks With Their First Pick | thesaintsnation.com
Andrew Juge - Well, of all places, I'm currently in Paris, France. My flight took off with about 5 picks to go till the Saints went at 89. Of course. Grrrrr... (HansDat juvenile humor note: I see London, I see France! I see Andrew's underpants!!!)

Trivia on Saints' Canadian draft pick - NFC South Blog | ESPN.com
Pat Y. - The New Orleans Saints turned a few heads when they drafted a player from a Canadian university Friday night.

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OVERVIEW

Hicks’ collegiate career could be likened to a verse from a Grateful Dead song – what a long, strange trip it’s been. Ever since leaving Del Campo High School, the powerful defensive tackle found himself being a member of three college teams, but he now has his sight set on the ultimate prize- a roster spot on a National Football League team.

The lineman is am imposing figure, strong and wide enough to manhandle double teams as a potential nose guard, quick enough to impact the pocket coming off the edge and flexible enough to string plays wide or simply shoot the gaps as a bull rushing defensive tackle.

With his long arms (84-inch wingspan) , Hicks makes it very difficult for an opposing quarterback to just lob the ball over the line of scrimmage without fearing that the lineman will just reach up and bat the pass away. With those massive hands, he’s had great success in shedding blocks, using them effectively at keeping blockers away from his feet. He is surprisingly agile for a big man and some team could find him quite effective as a possible fullback blocking for the ground game in short-yardage situations.

While he is still learning the nuances of the game, Hicks’ athleticism shines like a lighthouse on a stormy night. He is an explosive open field tackler who does a nice job of staying low in his pads and using his long reach to latch on to and wrap up the ball carrier.

He is also very effective at running offensive lineman up on their heels and back into the pocket, thanks to his impressive upper body strength.

Prior to embarking on his collegiate trek through two countries, Hicks was a standout offensive tackle and defensive lineman at Del Campo High School, in Fair Oaks, California. As a junior, the then 282-pound lineman recorded 48 tackles with four sacks, helping head coach Mike Dimino’s Cougars compile an 8-3 record.

Hicks’ senior season saw him earn All-Sac Joaquin Section and All-Capital Football League honors for the second-straight year. Now up to 300 pounds, he delivered 52 tackles with a pair of sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, as the team went on to an 11-2 record.

Coveted by the major colleges, the Rivals.com three-star prospect enrolled at Sacramento City College for his freshman season in 2007, hoping to improve his academics. He had a banner first season in college, recording 32 tackles (19 solos) with three sacks, ranking second on the squad with 13.5 stops-for-loss. The All-Mid Empire Conference selection also caused two fumbles and recovered another that he advanced for a touchdown.

In 2008, Hicks played in nine games for the Panthers, garnering All-Northern California Football Association first-team honors. He made 33 tackles (13 solos) and had seven of those stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also received All-Mid Empire Conference first-team honors for his sophomore performances. Rivals.com rated him the fourth-best defensive tackle and the 20^th-best junior college player in the nation.

Hicks decided to enroll at Louisiana State for the 2009 season, as he spurned serious offers from Arizona, Kansas State, Oregon, South Florida, Tennessee and Washington State, but never got the opportunity to play. He was limited by a knee sprain during the Tigers’ fall camp and then had to wait out an NCAA investigation into his recruitment.

Assistant coach D.J. McCarthy, who has since left LSU, recruited Hicks and is at the center of the investigation, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported. Forced to sit out the entire campaign in 2009, he decided to transfer to the University of Regina for the 2010 schedule.

The 2010 season saw Hicks walk away with All-Canada West Universities Athletic Association and All-Canadian Interuniversity Sport honors. In nine starting assignments, he posted 34 tackles (14 solos) with 1.5 sacks and five stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also caused two fumbles and broke up a pass.

Hicks again received All-CIS and All-Canada West accolades as a senior in 2011. He could have left school for the professional ranks after his junior year, as he was drafted in the tenth round (48th overall) by the Omaha Nighthawks in the 2011 United Football League, but wisely returned to the Rams for his final college season.

Hicks was credited with 42 tackles (29 solos) that included 6.5 sacks, eight stops behind the line of scrimmage, two forced fumbles and three pass deflections. His performance as a senior earned him an invitation to play in the 2012 East-West Shrine Game. He checked in at 6:04.5, 324 and was one of the largest players on the field throughout the week of practices..

What impressed scouts in attendance, was that Hicks displayed impressive movement, showing nimble feet and fast hands. He capitalized on his aforementioned wingspan and used those long limbs to dominate blockers and prove to pro teams he should be drafted in April. Originally considered as a seventh-round or free-agent projection, most teams feel that as he continues to impress in private workouts, he certainly could climb on most draft charts.

CAREER NOTES

Hicks appeared in nineteen games at Sacramento City College, recording 65 tackles (32 solos) with three sacks for minus 16 yards and 20.5 stops for losses of 67 yards, adding fifteen quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery that he advanced 30 yards for a touchdown, a pass deflection and a 13-yard interception return…In sixteen games at the University of Regina, he collected 76 tackles (43 solos), eight sacks for minus 65 yards and thirteen stops behind the line of scrimmage, as he also had nine pressures, four forced fumbles and four pass deflections…His complete college career encompassed 35 games, all starts, as he registered 141 tackles (75 solos), eleven sacks, 33.5 stops-for-loss, 25 pressures, six forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, four deflected passes and one interception.

2011 SEASON

Hicks was a dominating force in the middle of the defensive front wall for the University of Regina Rams, earning All-Canada West Universities Athletic Association and All-Canadian InterUniversity Sport honors…Started all eight games he appeared in, recording 42 tackles (29 solos) with 6.5 sacks for minus 54 yards, eight stops for losses totaling 56 yards and six quarterback pressures…Caused two fumbles and deflected three passes…Opened the season with four tackles vs. the University of British Columbia, followed by a season-best seven hits (6 solos), an assisted sack and a pass break-up vs. Saskatchewan…Matched his season-high with another seven tackles, including 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage vs. Calgary…The Alberta clash saw Hicks post six tackles (5 solos) and an 8-yard sack…Had six hits with two sacks for losses of 14 yards, causing a fumble on one of those QB drops to go with two pressures vs. Manitoba…In the Rams second encounter vs. Saskatchewan, Hicks responded with six tackles, causing a fumble on a 3-yard sack while also breaking up a pass…In his final college game, Hicks made four solo tackles with a pair of sacks for minus 23 yards, as he also batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage vs. Manitoba.

2010 SEASON

In his first season at the University of Regina, Hicks (wore jersey #99 during his Regina career), was an All-Canada West All-Star, playing for Rams head coach Frank McCrystal, as he produced 34 tackles (14 solos) with 1.5 sacks for minus 11 yards. 5.0 stops for losses of 18 yards and three pressures…Caused two fumbles and deflected one pass…In his Rams debut, Hicks delivered seven tackles with an assisted sack and a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage, in addition to causing a fumble and deflecting a pass vs. Manitoba…Added four hits vs. Saskatchewan and had two more stops for loss in the Calgary clash…Posted five tackles and three stops behind the line of scrimmage in the Rams second meeting vs. Manitoba…The second battle vs. Calgary saw Hicks register a 9-yard sack, causing a fumble on the play, as he totaled six tackles with 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage…His first season at Regina ended with Hicks making five tackles, including one for a loss in a playoff match-up vs. Calgary.

2009 SEASON

Hicks was recruited by Louisiana State (wore jersey #94 in practices), but never got on the field for the Tigers…Was under investigation for his recruitment and the NCAA results saw assistant coach D.J. McCarthy, who had lured Hicks to LSU, leave the university…The lineman was also limited early in September by a knee sprain he suffered during fall camp.

2008 SEASON

Hicks was a junior college All-American, All-Mid Empire Conference and All-Northern California Football Association selection as a sophomore at Sacramento City College (wore jersey #96)…That season, he recorded 33 tackles (13 solos) with seven stops for losses of 28 yards, as the defensive tackle added seven quarterback pressures and a pass deflection through nine contests.

2007 SEASON

Hicks joined the Sacramento City College program as a freshman, playing for Panthers head coach Mike Clemons…In ten games, the freshman made 32 tackles (19 solos) with three sacks for minus 16 yards, 13.5 stops for losses of 39 yards and eight pressures…In his collegiate debut, he had a stop behind the line of scrimmage and recovered a fumble by Brandon Howe in the first quarter, returning the ball 30 yards for the Panthers’ first touchdown for the season, vs. Butte…Sacked Kevin Kleppe and made four stops behind the line of scrimmage among his six tackles (5 solos) vs. Sierra…Set up a field goal when he intercepted a Derek Shaw pass for a 13-yard return vs. Fresno City…Followed with a forced fumble, three stops for loss and six tackles (4 solos) vs. Shasta…Credited with 1.5 sacks for minus 4 yards and five tackles vs. Merced…Closed out the season with four tackles, a 4-yard sack that saw QB Tom Frachter fumble the ball and two more stops for loss vs. American River.

INJURY REPORT

2009 Season…Suffered a knee sprain in Louisiana State’s camp in late August.

AGILITY TESTS

5.23 in the 40-yard dash…1.73 10-yard dash…2.93 20-yard dash…4.86 20-yard shuttle…

7.75 three-cone drill…31 ½-inch vertical jump…9’0" broad jump…Bench pressed 225 pounds 26 times…35 1/8-inch arm length…10 1/8-inch hands…84-inch wingspan.

HIGH SCHOOL

Hicks attended Del Campo High School, in Fair Oaks, California, where he played football as an offensive tackle and defensive lineman for Cougars head coach Mike Dimino…As a junior, the then 282-pound lineman recorded 48 tackles with four sacks, helping the team compile an 8-3 record…His senior season saw him earn All-Sac Joaquin Section and All-Capital Football League honors for the second-straight year…Weighing 300 pounds, he delivered 52 tackles with a pair of sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, as the team went on to an 11-2 record in 2006.

PERSONAL

Enrolled in the Faculty of Arts…Drafted in the tenth round (48th overall) by the Omaha Nighthawks in the 2011 United Football League Draft…Son of Desiree and Frank Hicks…

Born Akiem Jamar Hicks on 11/16/89...Resides in Elk Grove, California.

PLAYER STATISTICS

DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
STATS	GP	GS	TK	SO	AS	FR	FC	INT	TFL	PBU	SACK	PRES
2007 (SCC)	10	10	32	19	13	01	02	01	13.5-39	00	03.0-16	08
2008 (SCC)	09	09	33	13	20	00	00	00	07.0-28	01	00.0-00	07
2010 (U of R)	08	08	34	14	20	00	02	00	05.0-18	01	01.5-11	03
2011 (U of R)	08	08	42	29	13	00	02	00	08.0-56	03	06.5-54	06
TOTAL	19	19	65	32	33	01	02	01	20.5-67	01	03.0-16	15
Above totals are for Sacramento City College career
TOTAL	16	16	76	43	33	00	04	00	13.0-74	04	08.0-65	09
Above totals are for University of Regina career
TOTAL	35	35	141	75	66	01	06	01	33.5-141	05	11.0-81	25
Above totals are for complete college career

INTERCEPTION RETURNS						ADVANCED FUMBLE RECOVERIES
STATS	NO	YARDS	AVG	TD	LONG	NO	YARDS	AVG	TD	LONG
2007	01	13	13.00	00	13	01	30	30.00	01	30