Vernon "Stick Horse" Hicks

Vernon Hicks graduated from A.J. Moore High School - Waco, Texas in 1943 and went on to Wiley College in Marshall, Texas where he quarterbacked the 1945 Wiley Wildcats to the National Championship over Florida A&M 32-6. After graduating from Wiley in 1947 he went on to get his Masters Degree at Prairie View A&M. He retired in 1935 and became the Assistant Athletic Director in the Waco Independent School District. As a head baseball coach he compiled a record of 305 victories to only 97 defeats and as head football coach his record was 50 wins and 26 losses and 2 ties. He has received many coaching awards as a coach and official including the "Coach of The Year" award at the sports banquet in Houston in 1964 presented by the former Brooklyn Dodger Star, Jackie Robinson. Many of his former players became outstanding college and professional athletes as well as coaches. Seven of his players signed professionally including the current pitching coach of the Baltimore Orioles, Alvin Johnson. Others included Amos Gray, Larry Danforth, Larry Mason, James Jones, Bobby Degrate and Lawrence Hicks.

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