Hickman Brothers Win At Homecoming On Late Mother’s Birthday
For brothers Jordan Hickman, Javarrius Hickman and Jaylin Hickman, Friday (Oct. 4) represented more than a night to play football during homecoming at George Sissan Field in Shelby.
The three Northside High School standouts took the field with heavy hearts against the O’Bannon High School Green Wave as Friday was the birthday of their late mother, Mary Hickman, who died from breast cancer at the age of 49 on May 27. Jordan Hickman, Javarrious Hickman and Jaylin Hickman all played their hearts out as they helped Northside get a 42-8 victory to open play in Region 3-2A action. The family was honored at halftime during the game.
Mary Hickman was a graduate of John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Mound Bayou. To support her family, Hickman sold insurance and worked hard to be a strong mother and role model to her children.
Jordan Hickman, who is a senior and starting quarterback for the Gators, said his mother loved football and had him and his brothers training hard to stay ready to play.
“She was a true football die hard,” said Jordan Hickman after the game. “She used to wake us up at five in the morning, and we were running. We did it for her. She played sports growing up. I guess those genes made it to us. We just want to make her proud.”
The win on Friday was extra sweet for Jordan Hickman as his mother on his mind.
“Today was her birthday, so we had to come out and ball out for her,” said Hickman. “Seeing her going through chemo and all of that, it was kind of heartbreaking. We knew that she was only going to be here for a certain amount of time. We just had to cherish the moment she was here. When we found out (she died), I can’t explain it. We weren’t in the right mindset, but we remembered she told us to come out here and ball out for football. She wanted us to play together and ball out.”
Jaylin Hickman, a wide receiver, safety and linebacker on the Gators squad, said his mother had always supported him and his brothers.
“My mom meant the world to me,” said the athlete in his junior season. “Everyday we’d come out and ball. She was always on our side every game. She was on our tail about a whole lot of stuff. We’ve got to show discipline and be respectful to the coaches. We love her, and we like to cherish our moments with her.”
Javarrius Hickman, a linebacker and running back, was excited about beating O’Bannon on his mother’s birthday.
“She was a great parent,” said the young football player in his freshman year. “She was on our butts about doing all the other types of stuff here and keeping us focused. It felt really good to win on her birthday.”
The Hickman brothers work well together on the field. They said they might argue with each other a little bit, but they’re going to play together at the end of the day.
“We’ve always had that brotherhood type of love,” said Jordan Hickman. “We just come together and talk late at night about what we’re going to do before the game.”
Northside Head Football Coach Montrelli Finley spoke highly of the talented trio.
“Those are some great kids,” said Finley. “Their mom did an awesome job. They’re humble and work hard. You can’t ask for three better kids on your team. They’re a blessing to their family and a blessing to us. We’re their extended family.”