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H. Warren Smith Cemetery

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This is a contributing entry for H. Warren Smith Cemetery and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

Herman Michael Hickman Jr. (1911-1958) was a nationally known sports personality in the 1950s who hosted his own talk show on CBS Radio and was a contributing editor for Sports Illustrated magazine. A former college and NFL football star in the 1930s, Hickman coached college football at four different schools, including West Point and was the head coach of Yale University from 1948-1951. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959.


In 1931, Herman Hickman was an All-American guard at the University of Tennessee.

Forehead, Shoulder, Neck, Jaw

Herman Hickman

Forehead, Smile, Tie, Coat

Hickman at Yale University

Smile, White, Cap, Sleeve

Hickman as an assistant coach at North Carolina State University.

Forehead, Chin, Hairstyle, Human

Headstone

Plant, Leaf, Cemetery, Headstone

Weighing in at more than 300 pounds, Hickman was known for his prodigious appetite and as a keynote speaker on the sports banquet circuit. A native of Johnson City, Tennessee, Hickman graduated from high school at 16 and from college with honors when he was 20. He played professional football for the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers for three years (1932-34) and coached linemen at West Point from 1943-1947 under legendary head coach Red Blaik. He retired from coaching in 1951 and played the role of fictious football coach Jumbo Caldwell in the 1953 movie "All American" starring Tony Curtis and Frank Gifford. At the time of his death at age 46 from a severe gastric ulcer, he owned a vacation home in Ponte Vedra Beach.