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Hicks' Career Game Highs
Tackles: 9 (at UCLA, 2021)
Tackles For Loss: 2.5 (vs. Colorado, 2021)
Tackle For Loss Yards: 9 (vs. Colorado, 2021)
Sacks: 1.0 (three times, last vs. Colorado, 2021)
Sack Yards: 8 (vs. Colorado, 2021)
Forced Fumbles: 1 (six times, last vs. USC, 2021)
Interceptions: 1 (five times, last at Arizona, 2021)
Interception Return Yards: 34 (vs. Colorado, 2018)
Long Interception Return: 34TD (vs. Colorado, 2018)
Interception Return TDs: 1 (vs. Colorado, 2018)
Pass Breakups: 2 (at UCLA, 2020)
All-Purpose Yards: 34 (vs. Colorado, 2018)
Points: 6 (vs. Colorado, 2018)
After Cal
• Accepted an invitation on Jan. 7, 2022 to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 3, 2022
• Participated in 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl practices but did not play in the game
Cal Career (2017-2021)
• Played in all 54 games possible with 46 starts over five seasons and finished his career with 213 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss (-40 yards), 3.0 sacks (-15 yards), five interceptions that he returned for 66 yards and one touchdown, 14 pass breakups and six forced fumbles
• Contributed a career-high 72 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 15 tackle for loss yards, eight sack yards, three interceptions and four forced fumbles while playing in 12 games and also starting a career-high-tying 12 contests as a 2021 senior
• Had career bests of 2.0 sacks and five pass breakups while making a career-high-tying 12 starts and playing in a career-high-tying 13 contests as a 2019 junior
• Recorded the first of his five career interceptions that he returned 34 yards for his lone career touchdown against Colorado in a career-high-tying 13 contests as a 2018 sophomore, while his two fumble recoveries as a 2017 freshman were a career high
Senior (2021)
• Third-Team All-American (Pro Football Focus)
• First-Team All-Pac-12 (Associated Press, Jon Wilner's College Football Hotline, Pac-12 Coaches, Pro Football Focus)
• Winner of the Pop Warner College Football Award presented by the Pop Warner Little Scholars to a senior who made a difference on the field, in the classroom and in his community, and served as a role model to Pop Warner's young student athletes
• Semifinalist for the prestigious Campbell Trophy also known as the Academic Heisman; the Jason Witten College Man of the Year for his demonstrated record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field; and the Wuerffel Trophy for his community service combined with athletic and academic achievement
• Named Cal's Most Valuable Defensive Player and also earned the team's Andy Smith Award for the most snaps with a combined 964 on defense and special teams
• Nominee for Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• A Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award nominee after winning a weekly honor from the organization October 13
• Six-time game captain (Nevada, at Oregon, Oregon State, at Stanford, at UCLA, USC) including each of the team's final three contests
• Started all 12 games at safety and was one of six Cal players to start all 12 contests and one of four on the defensive side of the ball
• Pro Football Focus' highest rated safety in the Pac-12
• Tied for the team lead while co-pacing the Pac-12 with a career-high four forced fumbles and 0.33 forced fumbles per game (#T11 NCAA)
• Also co-led the 2021 squad with a career-high three interceptions that tied for third in the Pac-12, while he was second on the team with 72 tackles and added 5.5 tackles for loss (-15 yards), 1.0 sack (-8 yards) and two pass breakups, with the tackles, tackles for loss and tackle for loss yards all career highs
• Had a three-game interception streak at Oregon, vs. Colorado and at Arizona
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Nevada - 4 tackles ... game captain
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at TCU - 8 tackles, 1 forced fumble ... equaled a career high for forced fumbles
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Sacramento State - 4 tackles
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at Washington - 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble ... equaled a career high for forced fumbles
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Washington State - 5 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss (-1 yard)
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at Oregon - 4 tackles, 1 forced fumble ... equaled a career-high for forced fumbles ... game captain
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Colorado - 6 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss (-9 yards), 1.0 sack (-8 yards), 1 interception (2 yards), 1 pass breakup ... career highs for tackles for loss, tackle for loss yards and sack yards; equaled career highs for sacks and interceptions
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Oregon State - 8 tackles, 1 interception, 1 pass breakup ... equaled a career high for interceptions ... game captain
• at Arizona - 4 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss (-3 yards), 1 interception ... equaled a career high for interceptions
• at Stanford - 6 tackles ... game captain
• at UCLA - 9
tackles ... career-high tackles ... game captain
• USC - 7
tackles, 1 forced fumble ... equaled a career-high for forced fumbles ... had a key forced fumble that Trey Paster picked up and ran 55 yards for a touchdown for Cal's first score on a forced fumble since Gerran Brown brought one back for a touchdown in a 2017 win over Washington State ... game captain
• All-Pac-12 Third Team Preseason (Athlon), Honorable Mention Preseason (Pac-12 Media); NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Big Board; No. 13 National Draft Eligible Safety (Phil Steele); Players To Watch (Athlon)
Senior (2020)
• Selected to the prestigious AFCA All-State Good Works Team® for his community service work with the non-profit Intercept Poverty Foundation he founded and the food pantry at the UC Berkeley Basic Needs Center
• Named a national semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award that is presented annually to the Division I college football player who has demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field
• Started all four games in a season shortened by COVID-19 and was second on the team with 28 tackles, while adding one of the squad's three interceptions by three different players that he returned for a team-high 30 yards, two pass breakups and three passes defended that both ranked tied for second on the squad
• Had eight tackles against Stanford
• Recorded seven tackles both at UCLA and against Oregon, adding a career-high two pass breakups in the season-opener against the Bruins
• Picked up six tackles and an interception that he returned 30 yards at Oregon State
• Moved to safety after playing primarily cornerback in each of his first three seasons other than the 2019 Redbox Bowl and the practices that preceded the game when he began his switch from cornerback to safety
• Earned Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon) and Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele) recognition
Junior (2019)
• Cal's Jonathan and Judy Hoff Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• Played in all 13 games with 12 starts
• Contributed 44 tackles, as well as a career-high 2.0 sacks (-7 yards) and five pass breakups, while adding 2.0 tackles for loss (-7 yards) in a career-high-tying 13 games played and career-high-tying 12 starts with his lone non start coming in the Redbox Bowl against Illinois when he played both cornerback and safety
• Had a season-high-tying five tackles on four occasions at Washington and later in three consecutive contests at Oregon, vs. Oregon State and at Utah, adding 1.0 tackle for loss and sack both against Utes (-6 sack yards, -6 tackle for loss yards) and Huskies (-1 yard), as well as one pass breakup in both contests
• Had four tackles and one pass breakup in the season opener against UC Davis, at Ole Miss and at UCLA
• Had three tackles vs. Arizona State, Washington State and USC, as well as at Stanford
• Played and started vs. North Texas but did record any statistics other than participation
• Played off the bench in the Redbox Bowl against Illinois but did record any statistics other than participation
• Cal's Jonathan and Judy Hoff Scholar-Athlete of the Week
• Preseason third-team All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)
• Recorded three tackles in the spring game
Sophomore (2018)
• Played in a career-high-tying all 13 games with 11 starts and recorded 31 tackles, a 5.0 tackles for loss (-14 yards), his first career interception that he returned 34 yards for his lone career touchdown vs. Colorado, two pass breakups and three passes defended
• Had seven tackles and a career-high 2.0 tackles for loss (-3 yards) at BYU
• Had five tackles at Arizona and against Stanford, adding 1.0 tackle for loss (-6 yards) against the Wildcats
• Had three tackles vs. UCLA and at USC
• Had two tackles vs. North Carolina, at Oregon State and at Washington State, adding 1.0 tackle for loss against both the Beavers (-4 yards) and Tar Heels (-1 yards), as well as a single pass breakup against North Carolina
• Registered one tackle against Idaho State and in the Cheez-It Bowl vs. TCU, adding one pass breakup against the Bengals
• Had the 34-yard pick six but no additional statistics other than participation against Colorado with the interception return for a touchdown with 13:49 remaining in the first quarter the earliest Cal scored in a game during the season
• Also started against Oregon and played against Washington but did not record any statistics other than participation in either contest
• Did not participate in spring ball due to injury
Freshman (2017)
• One of only four true freshman to see action along with Jeremiah Hawkins, Gavin Reinwald and Michael Saffell
• Played in all 12 games with seven starts that were the most among true freshmen with all the starts coming over the last 10 games including each of the final three
• Contributed 38 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss (-4 yards), three pass breakups, three passes defensed and two forced fumbles
• Registered six tackles against Washington State and in the season finale at UCLA, adding 1.0 tackle for loss (-1 yard), a career-high-tying one forced fumble and one pass breakup against the Bruins, as well as 1.0 tackle for loss (-3 yards) against the Cougars
• Had five tackles and one pass breakup at Stanford
• Had four tackles on three occasions vs. USC, at Washington and vs. Oregon State, adding his first career pass breakup against the Trojans and his first career forced fumble against the Beavers
• Registered three tackles at Oregon
• Had two stops against both Weber State and Ole Miss
• Recorded one tackle at North Carolina and Colorado
• Jonathan and Judy Hoff Scholar-Athlete of the Week
• Capped an impressive spring by coming away with an interception and a team-high three pass breakups in the spring game
• One of nine players who were mid-year enrollees in January and participated with the team during its spring practices along with fellow 2017 freshmen Gabriel Cherry and Taariq Johnson, as well as 2016 greyshirts Daniel Juarez and Collin Moore, Washington transfer Gerran Brown, junior college transfers Alex Funches and Bryce Turner, and Christian Rodriguez
• Arrived at Cal in January after former head coach Sonny Dykes was relived of his duties and before current head coach Justin Wilcox was hired
La Mirada HS (Class Of 2017)/St. John Bosco HS (2013-14)
• Two varsity teams at La Mirada HS as a 2015 junior and 2016 senior combined for one state title, two Suburban Football League crowns and a 23-5 overall record while he totaled 1324 all-purpose yards and 15 total touchdowns
• Earned Cal-Hi Sports first-team All-State and Whittier Daily News All-Area Player of the Year honors as a senior when he led his 11-3 squad to the CIF Southern Section finals and an SFL title for the second consecutive campaign while making strong contributions on both sides of the ball and special teams
• Had 31 receptions for 483 yards and five touchdown catches as a senior, while adding 40 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss (-6 yards) and five interceptions that he returned 15 yards on defense
• Finished his senior campaign with 1001 all-purpose yards and a total of 10 touchdowns with five receiving, three on punt returns including a 96-yarder, one kick return and one interception return
• Contributed 25 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns on offense as well as 45 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks on defense and special steams as a 2015 junior for a squad that won the state Division III-AA title, finished 13-3 overall and captured the SFL crown
• Spent his 2014 sophomore season at St. John Bosco HS, seeing limited action for a squad that finished 12-2 overall, reached the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division titles and won the Trinity League
• Wore No. 2 while at La Mirada and No. 32 at St. John Bosco
• Also briefly attended Encino High School in the fall of 2015 but did not play
Recruiting Notes (Class Of 2017)
• Four-star Rivals and Scout recruit
• Came to Cal ranked as high as the nation’s No. 22 athlete (Rivals), No. 26 cornerback (Scout) and No. 232 player overall (Rivals)
Other
• Born October 16, 1999
• Son of Tony Hicks and Shedra Rucker
• Has his own non-profit foundation Intercept Poverty
• Has volunteered on several occasions for the UC Berkeley Basic Needs Center
• Responded to the coronavirus pandemic by raising nearly $70,000 through his non-profit Intercept Poverty Foundation's COVID-19 Campaign working along with No Kid Hungry to provide financial assistance to low-income families to afford to feed their children
• Now partnering with Scholarship America to award grants of $500-700 to provide emergency relief funds to deserving students at UC Berkeley for expenses such as bills, rent and food
• Graduated from Cal in December of 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in American studies before earning graduate certificates in entrepreneurship in May of 2021 and business administration in December of 2021
Last Updated
February 25, 2022
