If there ever was a prototypical student-athlete, Rocky Mount native Richard Hicks would fit the mold.

Hicks was a brilliant quarterback who led Booker T. Washington to the 1958 3-A state football title. A year later, he paced the school to the boys' basketball state finals. His skills were undeniable on the gridiron and hardcourt – he was a two-time all-state member in both sports – but Hicks was confident that he could serve a higher purpose.

"I always tried to look beyond athletics," Hicks said. "I had a choice to go to college. If I didn't get the scholarship, I couldn't go."

Hicks earned a football scholarship to North Carolina College (now N.C. Central), and he has maintained a unique balance between athletics and academics ever since. His years of service and excellence have earned him a spot in the North Carolina High School Athletics Association 2009 Hall of Fame class.

Hicks joins Dr. Wiley "Army" Armstrong (1997) as the only Rocky Mount members of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame, which began inducting members in 1987.

"I'm humbled by the whole thing," Hicks said. "It says something to you how you have been perceived by those around you."

Hicks, now retired and living in Durham, coached football, basketball and baseball at Booker T. Washington.

There was even a year where he coached football at Booker T. Washington and boys' basketball at Rocky Mount High.

He coached the Gryphons boys' basketball team from 1968 to 1975, including a stint where he guided a young point guard named Phil Ford, who went on to play for North Carolina.

But there was only so much coaching in Hicks, who moved on to administrative roles for the rest of his career. He served as principal of Durham Hillside and as a member of the NCHSAA Board of Directors, including one year as president.

Hicks and seven others will form the NCHSAA 2009 Class, with inductions in April. He is also a member of the Booker T. Washington Hall of Fame and the N.C. Central Sports Hall of Fame.

The accolades are nice, but Hicks said he enjoys being around students and athletes.

He spends parts of his days helping out at N.C. Central's bookstore. Hicks said he plans to attend a Rocky Mount football game this season because he has heard a lot about the team.

Hicks admits he cannot stay away from athletics or education for too long.

"I've been blessed," Hicks said. "I hope that's the way it is until the day I die."

Jessie H. Nunery can be reached at 407-9951 or

jhnunery@coxnc.com