Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Dwone Hicks' journey from cleats to clippers
9/4/2018 4:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - If you ever head down Greenland Drive in Murfreesboro, you can't miss the amazing sight of the Murphy Center tucked neatly behind the metal bleachers of the end-zone seats at Floyd Stadium. Passersby can be seen gawking at the site that is the center of Middle Tennessee State's athletic complex, yet they often don't pay too much attention to the other side of the road.
If you stand in MTSU's Greenland parking lot and throw one of the stones that's been busted up during construction this summer, it'd likely land in the Blue Raider Barber Shop's parking lot.
Throw that stone on a Saturday morning and a man who knows the confines of Floyd Stadium all too well will be found right through the front door and to the first room on the left: Dwone Hicks.
Hicks dazzled MTSU fans throughout the early 2000s with his semi-truck-like runs where he'd smash through the front seven and cycle through the gears all the way to the end zone.
The Huntsville, Alabama, native's name still litters the record books at MTSU. His 311 yards rushing against Louisiana Tech as a sophomore is still arguably the greatest single-game performance for a back in school history. Success against SEC opponents, including 203 yards rushing and four touchdowns against Vanderbilt, 116 yards against LSU and 79 yards on just nine carries against Ole Miss as a junior, served as a springboard to his Heisman – yes, Heisman – campaign in 2002 when he averaged over 5 yards per carry en route to a First Team All-Sun Belt selection. Sixteen years later, Hicks continues to hold the Blue Raider record for the most career rushing touchdowns (53), and his 20-rushing-touchdown campaign in 2001 is still the most in school history.
These days, Hicks is busy cutting hair rather than cutting up field.
"Ten years ago, I walked into the 'Boro Barber and wanted my license, but it just didn't happen," Hicks said. "My wife mentioned it to me again one day, and I got up and walked right in and got started."
Since February, the former NFL running back has attended the Barber School and Company in Murfreesboro, where he has since began an apprenticeship to obtain his license.
He floats around day-to-day to different shops that have an open chair, but through hard work and taking things in stride, he's beginning to build a solid customer base in the Murfreesboro area.
One such customer is former MTSU student and Band of Blue alum Jerome Scott. Scott stops in around twice a month to see Hicks and get his beard trimmed and a haircut.
Hicks' framed white jersey with a big blue "33" on the back and a picture of himself carrying the ball against Alabama in 2002 are nestled in the corner of his station. They bring back memories for Scott, as well.
As Hicks ran his clippers up past Scott's temple and down behind the ear, Scott reminisced on the days when Hicks would take one the distance, and Scott and the near-70 person drumline would play the MTSU fight song.
The Milan, Tennessee, native smiled while remarking, "When we played Florida one year at (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium), we got a standing ovation from the fans after our show."
Long removed from his days of standing ovations, Hicks' life has been re-shifted to helping others.
After stepping down from his short NFL career with the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears, Hicks went down south to Georgia, where he began coaching high school running backs while working on his master's degree in teaching.
Once he earned his degree and eventually settled in Murfreesboro, he took a job teaching special education students at Blackman High School, a position that was near and dear to him.
Hicks' son, Cannon, was born with autism. With a smile, Hicks will tell you his son has "abilities," and not disabilities. It's given Hicks his own special abilities when it comes to kids.
"I have a knack when it comes to kids," he said. "I'm always able to help get a message across to them, and one thing about them is they're genuine. The reason I went into special education was to find kids with similar abilities to my son. I'm able to open up to parents more and they are more understanding because my son has superpowers, too."
Cannon was one of the first people that his father gave a haircut. Being able to spend time cutting his son's hair has given Hicks focus as sharp as the razors he uses every night.
"(Cannon) moves around a lot (when I cut his hair), and I've been able to learn a lot from him because of it," Hicks said.
As he progresses further into his apprenticeship, taking pictures and documenting his journey have helped Hicks take things step-by-step to perfect his craft, just as he did on the gridiron.
From the first official haircut he gave to former Blue Raider and Tennessee Titans teammate Tyrone Calico to this past Saturday morning with Scott, Hicks is moving closer to his eventual goal of owning his own shop.
"I want to own my own shop, and having (Blue Raider Barber Shop owner) Shawn Moses as a mentor to me and having him help with my goals would be special," Hicks said.
Setting down the clippers, Hicks transitioned to the beard-trimmers and began to work on Scott's thick and grizzled beard.
With his tattoos peeking out of the arm-holes in his t-shirt, Hicks nudged Scott's chin up and started trimming up the neckline.
"I played some tight end at (Milan High School)," Scott said.
"Tight end's a changing position nowadays," Hicks replied.
The days where the former running back would lie down at night with a football tucked high and tight beneath his shoulder are no more. He's drifted a bit from the game that once consumed his life, but isn't completely out of touch with it.
"I haven't watched a game in a while beside the Super Bowl (last year)," Hicks said, slowly working his trimmers along the neckline.
He continues to do some personal training at Energy Fitness in Murfreesboro while hitting the gym hard himself, but becoming a fan for the first time in his life is something he looks forward to. As he appears, the 5-foot-10, 200-plus pound man could probably pass for an outside linebacker.
As the trimmers silenced and the low volume of the TV playing Nick Cannon's "Wild-N-Out" hummed below the smooth jazz coming through the shop's speaker system, Hicks looked up at Scott and told him, "Give them three years and the Bears can go to the Super Bowl."
Scott chuckled and said, "Trim this right hear a bit more," motioning toward his right cheekbone.
"I got a Cowboys hat for you," Scott said as Hicks finished things up.
"Nah, get that outta here!" Hicks bellowed out. "I'm gonna stick with my Bears!"
Hicks spins Scott around 180 degrees to face the mirror, and after a nod of approval, the former running back takes the cape off his client and wishes his loyal customer, and more importantly, great friend, a good rest of his day.
Hicks may not be dazzling the City of Murfreesboro with his electric runs down the turf surface at Floyd Stadium anymore, but the electric whirring of his beloved pair of clippers continues to dazzle just outside the stadium's gates.
"This is a perfect opportunity," Hicks said. "I'd love to cut in here on a Saturday and hear the crowd roar in the background. That'd be really special."
Anthony Fiorella is a student writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
If you stand in MTSU's Greenland parking lot and throw one of the stones that's been busted up during construction this summer, it'd likely land in the Blue Raider Barber Shop's parking lot.
Throw that stone on a Saturday morning and a man who knows the confines of Floyd Stadium all too well will be found right through the front door and to the first room on the left: Dwone Hicks.
Hicks dazzled MTSU fans throughout the early 2000s with his semi-truck-like runs where he'd smash through the front seven and cycle through the gears all the way to the end zone.
The Huntsville, Alabama, native's name still litters the record books at MTSU. His 311 yards rushing against Louisiana Tech as a sophomore is still arguably the greatest single-game performance for a back in school history. Success against SEC opponents, including 203 yards rushing and four touchdowns against Vanderbilt, 116 yards against LSU and 79 yards on just nine carries against Ole Miss as a junior, served as a springboard to his Heisman – yes, Heisman – campaign in 2002 when he averaged over 5 yards per carry en route to a First Team All-Sun Belt selection. Sixteen years later, Hicks continues to hold the Blue Raider record for the most career rushing touchdowns (53), and his 20-rushing-touchdown campaign in 2001 is still the most in school history.
These days, Hicks is busy cutting hair rather than cutting up field.
"Ten years ago, I walked into the 'Boro Barber and wanted my license, but it just didn't happen," Hicks said. "My wife mentioned it to me again one day, and I got up and walked right in and got started."
Since February, the former NFL running back has attended the Barber School and Company in Murfreesboro, where he has since began an apprenticeship to obtain his license.
He floats around day-to-day to different shops that have an open chair, but through hard work and taking things in stride, he's beginning to build a solid customer base in the Murfreesboro area.
One such customer is former MTSU student and Band of Blue alum Jerome Scott. Scott stops in around twice a month to see Hicks and get his beard trimmed and a haircut.
Hicks' framed white jersey with a big blue "33" on the back and a picture of himself carrying the ball against Alabama in 2002 are nestled in the corner of his station. They bring back memories for Scott, as well.
As Hicks ran his clippers up past Scott's temple and down behind the ear, Scott reminisced on the days when Hicks would take one the distance, and Scott and the near-70 person drumline would play the MTSU fight song.
The Milan, Tennessee, native smiled while remarking, "When we played Florida one year at (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium), we got a standing ovation from the fans after our show."
Long removed from his days of standing ovations, Hicks' life has been re-shifted to helping others.
After stepping down from his short NFL career with the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears, Hicks went down south to Georgia, where he began coaching high school running backs while working on his master's degree in teaching.
Once he earned his degree and eventually settled in Murfreesboro, he took a job teaching special education students at Blackman High School, a position that was near and dear to him.
Hicks' son, Cannon, was born with autism. With a smile, Hicks will tell you his son has "abilities," and not disabilities. It's given Hicks his own special abilities when it comes to kids.
"I have a knack when it comes to kids," he said. "I'm always able to help get a message across to them, and one thing about them is they're genuine. The reason I went into special education was to find kids with similar abilities to my son. I'm able to open up to parents more and they are more understanding because my son has superpowers, too."
Cannon was one of the first people that his father gave a haircut. Being able to spend time cutting his son's hair has given Hicks focus as sharp as the razors he uses every night.
"(Cannon) moves around a lot (when I cut his hair), and I've been able to learn a lot from him because of it," Hicks said.
As he progresses further into his apprenticeship, taking pictures and documenting his journey have helped Hicks take things step-by-step to perfect his craft, just as he did on the gridiron.
From the first official haircut he gave to former Blue Raider and Tennessee Titans teammate Tyrone Calico to this past Saturday morning with Scott, Hicks is moving closer to his eventual goal of owning his own shop.
"I want to own my own shop, and having (Blue Raider Barber Shop owner) Shawn Moses as a mentor to me and having him help with my goals would be special," Hicks said.
Setting down the clippers, Hicks transitioned to the beard-trimmers and began to work on Scott's thick and grizzled beard.
With his tattoos peeking out of the arm-holes in his t-shirt, Hicks nudged Scott's chin up and started trimming up the neckline.
"I played some tight end at (Milan High School)," Scott said.
"Tight end's a changing position nowadays," Hicks replied.
The days where the former running back would lie down at night with a football tucked high and tight beneath his shoulder are no more. He's drifted a bit from the game that once consumed his life, but isn't completely out of touch with it.
"I haven't watched a game in a while beside the Super Bowl (last year)," Hicks said, slowly working his trimmers along the neckline.
He continues to do some personal training at Energy Fitness in Murfreesboro while hitting the gym hard himself, but becoming a fan for the first time in his life is something he looks forward to. As he appears, the 5-foot-10, 200-plus pound man could probably pass for an outside linebacker.
As the trimmers silenced and the low volume of the TV playing Nick Cannon's "Wild-N-Out" hummed below the smooth jazz coming through the shop's speaker system, Hicks looked up at Scott and told him, "Give them three years and the Bears can go to the Super Bowl."
Scott chuckled and said, "Trim this right hear a bit more," motioning toward his right cheekbone.
"I got a Cowboys hat for you," Scott said as Hicks finished things up.
"Nah, get that outta here!" Hicks bellowed out. "I'm gonna stick with my Bears!"
Hicks spins Scott around 180 degrees to face the mirror, and after a nod of approval, the former running back takes the cape off his client and wishes his loyal customer, and more importantly, great friend, a good rest of his day.
Hicks may not be dazzling the City of Murfreesboro with his electric runs down the turf surface at Floyd Stadium anymore, but the electric whirring of his beloved pair of clippers continues to dazzle just outside the stadium's gates.
"This is a perfect opportunity," Hicks said. "I'd love to cut in here on a Saturday and hear the crowd roar in the background. That'd be really special."
Anthony Fiorella is a student writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
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