Tom Hicks, an educator and sports legend, honored
Principal, coach, grid star, boxer, wrestler, oh my!
NEWFANE — Former Newfane Elementary School Principal Tom Hicks was inducted into his fourth athletic hall of fame Friday in Lockport, but the 64-year-old’s most recent hall call is a little more meaningful than the previous three.
Hicks’ induction into the Lockport High School Athletic Hall of Fame brings everything full circle for the Class of 1962 graduate because he took his first steps on the road to success by wearing the blue and gold colors of the Lions’ sports teams.
He was one of the best football players ever produced by the high school, a ferocious middle linebacker and center who became the first Lockport High player to ever be selected to the All-Western New York First Team. His football talent enabled him to earn a full-ride scholarship to Ithaca College.
And it was at Ithaca where Hicks’ former football coach, Dick Lyon, put him on the career path where he would achieve greatness as a lifelong educator molding the minds of generations of youth — some who knew him as the fighting teacher during his professional boxing days, and others who knew him just as a man determined to use school as a way of giving them a chance at attaining success during their lifetimes.
“Because of sports he went the right way, and it led to success throughout his life,” said former Lockport High football teammate Jim Conley, who would later work in the Newfane School District with Hicks. “Coaches at Lockport High got him to come out for football and use his ability in a positive way.”
And that’s why Hicks’ induction in the new Lockport High School Athletic Hall of Fame during a dinner ceremony at the Holiday Inn means so much to him.
Hicks was one of 10 former Lockport High standouts selected for induction. Other inductees were Lou Corriere (Class of 1940), Vic Cleri (Class of 1941), John Furlong (Class of 1956), Donald “Chip” Case (Class of 1965), Phil Rosenberg (Class of 1975), Lori Pasceri Asher (Class of 1989), Randy Smith (Class of 1991), Lucy Kelley (Class of 1995) and Kelly Stevens (Class of 1995).
Hicks credits former Lockport coaches Donn Burrows, Andy Grabowski, Bob Ames and Cleri for having positive impacts on his growth not only as an athlete but also as a person.
“It’s very, very special [because] this is where it all started. I still remember those first days both of school as well as the athletics. The athletics gave me a base to work from as far as setting some goals,” said Hicks.
“We wanted to be a winning team, and how do we do that?” he added. “We needed to work on those basic skills and develop. It’s just like life, if you want to be successful in life you have to set that plan of action and put things in order, priority, set a plan of action and go for it. That’s what we did with the athletics, and then we just turned it over to our schoolwork as well.”
Hicks, who does community service work with the Newfane Lions and Lockport Elks, also is a member of the Ithaca College Athletics Hall of Fame, Buffalo International Ring 44 Boxing Hall of Fame and Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame.
He played football at Ithaca College until a serious shoulder injury ended his football career as a sophomore. It was during Christmas break of that year when he first ventured to a Lockport gym with friends for a workout and learned how to box.
Hicks turned pro after reaching the national Golden Gloves semifinals in 1967, finishing his seven-year career 18-12-3. He wasn’t afraid to bleed, and he has the photos to prove it — various snapshots of him with black eyes or blood covering his face.
Even though he had a tough chin, his eyes cut easily and tended to bleed profusely to the point where they would shut, depending on which one an opponent decided to attack. That put many of his bouts in the hands of referees, since they can stop a fight if they believe a boxer’s safety is at risk due to in-ring punishment.
That’s the reason Hicks lost via technical knockout against Bob Foster when the two squared off for the light heavyweight championship of the world Oct. 30, 1971, in Scranton, Pa. After the 6-foot-4 Foster cut Hicks’ eye early, the champ methodically closed it with a steady diet of jabs. Hicks said he talked referee Manny Galb into giving him an extra round because the ref wanted to stop the fight after the seventh. Galb gave him a half-round, and Foster kept feasting on the gash.
“The fight itself, I felt very comfortable,” said Hicks, who was ranked as high as No. 9 during his career. “My weakness was cuts, bleeding, and that’s what he worked on.”
Hicks, who also fought twice for the British Commonwealth light heavyweight title (a controversial loss and a controversial draw in the rematch with Dan MacAlinden), did follow the Foster loss with a win in Madison Square Garden, stopping unbeaten contender Dennis McNamee in 10 rounds in what was McNamee’s final fight. McNamee (18-1) was carried out of the ring on a stretcher and hospitalized.
But Hicks’ induction into the Lockport High Athletics Hall of Fame isn’t because of what he accomplished in the ring. It’s because of his contributions to the school’s sports programs during his teen years as a three-sport athlete (football, wrestling and baseball).
He was persuaded to come out for junior varsity football as a freshman by Burrows. He played for Cleri on varsity his final three seasons, serving as captain as a senior. Hicks helped Lockport earn its first win in nearly a half-century over nemesis North Tonawanda during his senior year.
That same year, the senior class president proved to be tough on the wrestling mat, posting a 9-2-1 mark. Two of his wins, however, came over an opponent, Franklin Patterson, who weighed nearly 360 pounds — impressive considering that 5-foot-10 Hicks weighed 196 pounds. Back then, the heavyweight class was unlimited, with Hicks being on the low end in that division.
“His heart was as big as a 350-pound player. His size never affected him at all,” Conley said. “He gave it his all. He hated to lose. He was a fierce competitor, and he also boxed that way. I was bigger than Tom, and I looked at him as a role model. If he could do it, I could do it. He was that inspiring a player.”
So, would Hicks have gone to college if not for the scholarship offer from Ithaca College?
“It never would have happened,” he said. “My plan had been to go into the Marine Corps. One of my brothers had gone into the Marine Corps. . . . He came back a different person. . . . He matured a lot and, I was impressed with basically the class that he came back with. That was my plan.”
Thank goodness for the audible.
