Daniel Hickaway – He’s Got Next

www.krammag.com
Jonas Emilsson

As a grade 11 tail back for the St. Francis Brown senior boys football team, Daniel Hickaway knows the pressure to perform comes with the territory.

After all, the kid is following in some pretty big footsteps forged by many former football greats that donned the brown, orange and white jersey that has become synonymous with Calgary high school football.

But if our latest Kram Game of the Week is any indication, Hickaway is well on his way to leaving his own mark on Browns football.

Thanks to a 27-0 week two win over the Lord Beaverbrook Lords the Browns earned themselves a fine looking 2-0 record with 44 points scored and just three points given up their defense.

Based on their superb defensive play it’s safe to say that their entire defensive squad also deserved the Player of the Week honors.

But it was Hickaways’ determined running that helped the Browns break open a fairly tight game midway through the third quarter.

The 5′9″, 175 pound back scored one touchdown and had another one called back due to a penalty against the Lords. Along with the two runs that reached across the touchdown lines, Hickaway put together several bruising runs through the Lords’ defense that eventually led to points for the Browns.

An emphasis needs to be put on the bruising part of his running style. Hickaway won’t blow anyone away with his speed, yet, but when it comes to basic fundamentals of what makes a tail back successful, along with what seems like a legitimate love for making punishing contact with a defensive tackler, there’s no doubt that Hickaway will be finding the end zone plenty more times in the coming years.

“I just try to run hard and find the gaps and run through them,” said Hickaway about his running style. “I love getting the touchdowns, it’s great.”

That style of running is exactly what Hickaway showed in the latter stages of the Browns victory against the Lords, which was key in putting the game out of the reach.

“He’s not real, real fast, but he has decent speed and he hits the hole nice and just gets up-field,” said Browns’ head coach Darren Dudar. “He just drops his should and just does all the basic things real well, and that’s all you want.”

Being a first-year player on the senior team there’s no doubt that Hickaway has a lot of experienced players who have been through the wars of the high-end high school football to lean on.

“I just try to run hard and find the gaps and run through them,” said Hickaway about his running style. “I love getting the touchdowns, it’s great.”

The Browns have the luxury of being able to hand the ball over to several players that are more than capable of keeping drives going. But the foundation for next year must also be laid, and it’s definitely a bonus when the ‘future’ can contribute to the immediate success of a team.

“He’s only a grade 11 kid, but he was probably the best back in junior last year. He just works hard, keeps going and keeps the legs going,” said Dudar.

Basically, it’s safe to expect that next year Hickaway will be one of the dominant backs in the league.

“I’m just excited that I get to come back next year and do it all over again,” said Hickaway.

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Kram 5 with Daniel Hickaway
What is your favorite NFL team? Miami Dolphins
If you could play for any NCAA Div I College, which one? Texas A&M
What is your favorite movie? Stepbrothers
What is your favorite TV show? Seinfeld
What are your cleats of choice? Adidas Corner Blitz