High School Football

Hicks takes home Whataburger Super Team, National Lineman of the Year honors

By Tyler Tyre, Sports Editor
Posted 5/22/23

“I’m really proud,” Hicks said. “I’m just so happy that I was able to be put in this situation. I worked hard to make the team but if it wasn’t for my coaches and teammates I never could have don’t it. The credit goes to them and I’m just happy to be able to have this accomplishment.”

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High School Football

Hicks takes home Whataburger Super Team, National Lineman of the Year honors

Posted

D.J. Hicks has been collecting quite a trophy shelf this year.

The Paetow senior defensive lineman has garnered many accolades, collecting All-State, All-American and other awards on the way to becoming one of the top collegiate football prospects in the entire country.

Hicks got to add two more trophy’s to his case on Monday, as he received awards for being named to the Dave Campbell Texas Football’s Whataburger Super Team and received an award for being named the Bobby Dodd National Lineman of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta.

“I’m really proud,” Hicks said. “I’m just so happy that I was able to be put in this situation. I worked hard to make the team but if it wasn’t for my coaches and teammates I never could have don’t it. The credit goes to them and I’m just happy to be able to have this accomplishment.”

Only 40 players from the state of Texas get named to the Whataburger Super Team each year, as fans from around the state cast more than 900,000 votes for the team. The Bobby Dodd National High School Lineman of the Year is even more select, as the Touchdown Club of Atlanta since 1987 a committee of 20 members to who deem as the best lineman throughout all of high school football in the United States each year.

“It’s been a lot of hard work to get to this moment but it’s not done,” Hicks said. “Waking up early at six in the morning, the workouts and the training. I give all the credit to my dad. He put me on the right path and kept me humble. That was so important and that’s the reason I am where I’m at today.”

The trophy ceremony was the last highlight at Paetow for Hicks before graduation and was highlighted by a presentation to Hicks and fellow Paetow senior Daymion Sanford of their framed All-American jerseys. The two are the first All-Americans to come from the high school and the current and future teammates got one last celebration together at Paetow.

“It was a special moment to be able to share that with Daymion,” Hicks said. “Daymion is my dog so for us to both accomplish that and be able to share it with each other today was awesome. He’s an awesome guy to be around and I can’t wait until we both get up to College Station together.”

The work isn’t done for Hicks. He is training every day in preparation to join the Texas A&M football team this summer, and the senior can’t wait to get his college career started.

“I’m grinding every single day,” Hicks said. “Any open time I have, I’m working out and I’m getting ready. I’m just ready for the moment to come and I can’t wait to get up there and try to prove myself.”

Katy ISD, Paetow, D.J. Hicks, Daymion Sanford, sports, football