This article paints him in a more favorable light than anything else I've read about him so far.
by Andrew Abramson
Dennis Hickey’s hiring as general manager did little to excite the Dolphins fan base or generate positive buzz around the NFL. But across the country, players and coaches from Tulsa’s early 1990s football teams were swapping texts all day Sunday, elated that their brainy safety was becoming the Dolphins’ top man.
Hickey played three seasons for Tulsa (1991-1993) after transferring from Coffeyville Community College where he was a captain of the 1990 team that won a JUCO national championship. Tulsa’s 1991 team went 10-2 losing only to Miami and Kansas. Hickey was a starting safety. That team was ranked No. 21 at the end of the season. Tulsa wouldn’t be ranked in the top 25 again until 2006.
Jerry Ostrowski, who played for Hickey at Tulsa and spent eight years as an offensive lineman for the Bills, called Hickey a hard-working guy who passed up opportunities to play at smaller universities so he could accomplish his goal of playing at Tulsa, even it meant proving himself first at the community college level.
“I understand he wasn’t the Dolphins first choice,” Ostrowski said. “But I think sometimes those are the type of guys that end up thriving because they’re the ones, the grinding type people, the behind-the-scene guys who work their tail off to give an honest days work.”
Dave Rader, who coached Hickey at Tulsa, called Hickey “cerebral.” It’s a word that Ostrowski also used to describe Hickey.
“Dennis is a very serious individual,” Rader said. “He’s really, really smart. He’s an individual that respects and gives much thought before decisions are made. He’s one that is quick on his feet, see the pluses and minuses and makes good decisions. That’s why we loved him at safety. He could do all those things. He was a guy who could see what the other team was doing, make calls on defense and be a leader for us back there. He studied the game.”
- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thed...ty-dennis-hickey-for-gm/#sthash.eLyBmdWz.dpuf
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MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
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I honestly havent done enough homework on him to form a real positive or negative opinion. He wasnt one of my top 10 choices but that doesnt mean he will be bad though some of the early things Ive seen havent exactly been glowing reports. Hopefully the best hire Ross makes is a no name and the bucs dont know their *** from their elbows with regards to who is actually good at their job (and looking at their franchise thats very possible).
texanphinatic, The Rev and MrClean like this. -
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I'm happy for the early 90's Tulsa players. I'm not as happy for the Miami Dolphins of now.
ASOT, PhinGeneral and ckparrothead like this. -
At least Abramson did a little background on our new GM. This is the first article that touches on his MO and personality. I'm willing to give this guy a chance to prove (or not) himself. On a side note ever picture I see of this guy looks like different guy.
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Why would I give a single flying **** what the community of Tulsa thinks about one of theirs getting the job?
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As of right now, the people slamming him are doing so by mentioning his lack of ability when it comes to player evaluation. There are many different reports about his role with the Bucs in his final years there, but nearly all of the negative reports center around the fact that he is very poor with player evaluation. On the other hand, all of the positive reports about him focus on his character, or his work ethic, or his demeanor. None of them suggest he is a good talent evaluator.
Seems to me that he's a nice, hard working guy who's not particularly well suited to be the man in charge building a roster. -
MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
Just sayin'... :)
If you liked Hickey, you'd be fine with Tulsa being happy for him.Aquafin likes this. -
I cant believe that I am agreeing with you mr clean but there is a first time for everything. a nice guy has as much chance of succeeding as a jerk because chances are a nice guy will try to get along with the H.C. and scouting department.
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MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
Back to your regularly scheduled programming. :)Trackstar likes this. -
I personally don't know how the college team he played for twenty years ago has any relevance to being a qualified NFL GM. He sounds like he truly was a smart, dedicated player, however I'm sure there've been plenty of intelligent, serious, hard workers who've passed through college football since then. Stanford alone has probably had 600 of them. Not to mention, despite all the praise Tulsa heaped on him as a player he still never played beyond college. He was probably a local favorite b/c of his work ethic at the expense of great talent, an underdog of sorts, and what fan doesn't like supporting an underdog who makes it? They're probably thinking to themselves, "His intangibles made him a starting safety for a ranked Tulsa team so why not NFL GM". Unfortunately there have probably been thousands of college football players over the past 20 years with similar intangibles.
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MrClean Inglourious Basterd Club Member
The way I see it though is we got him now. We're more or less stuck with him for at least a year. So I am going to approach it with an open mind and not judge him on his past. The only thing or the main thing that matters now are what he does at the Miami GM. If after free agency and the draft things don't look any better than what Ireland did, then is a time to logically begin to second guess. Even then though, it would make more sense to see what the players he acquires do on the field before coming down too hard on him.mnfinfan likes this.