linkhttps://www.sfgate.com/sports/knapp/article/Hicks-thriving-despite-working-OT-2666989.phpHicks thriving despite working OT
Gwen Knapp, Chronicle Staff Writer Published 4:00 am PST, Monday, December 13, 20042004-12-13 04:00:00 PDT Tempe, Ariz. -- Maurice Hicks' white jersey had turned green by the time he walked off the field at Sun Devil Stadium on Sunday. The grass stains revealed just some of the toll his body has paid in the last 10 months.
He played with a bruised rib on his left side for most of the fourth quarter in the 49ers' 31-28 overtime victory over the Cardinals. Still, he rushed for 42 yards in the overtime period, including 24 on the last two plays from scrimmage to set up Todd Peterson's 31-yard field goal.
"Talk about Maurice Hicks, don't talk about me," Peterson said. "Talk about a kid who's an undrafted free agent and goes out and rushes for 100 yards. Pretty cool."
Making his first NFL start, Hicks rushed for 139 yards on 34 carries and reinforced the respect he has gained from his teammates. He filled in for Kevan Barlow on Sunday, but don't be surprised if he holds the starting job. Those 139 yards were a high for any back this season, and Barlow rushed for just 34 in 14 carries in the 49ers' other game against Arizona. He promised that the bruised rib wouldn't sideline him.
Hicks spent the spring with the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe, playing 10 regular-season games there, according to a 49ers public relations staffer observing the interviews around Hicks' locker. He came to the 49ers as soon as he finished overseas, and the PR person estimated that Hicks had been in 24 football games since March.
When a reporter asked Hicks how his body felt after all that punishment, he didn't understand the question. He thought it was about his rib, and he repeated his vow to play next week. When someone explained that the question was about the 10-month season, he smiled. It never occurred to him that playing so much football could be seen as a burden.
"It's just the love of the game," he said, "the love of the game."
Hicks spent two seasons in Scotland, helping translate the game for an international audience. Occasionally, the club sent players into local schools to teach kids about American football. The Scottish team, he said, had it easier than some. Their fans were pretty knowledgeable, unlike an audience in Germany, which had to be told when to cheer.
As a collegian at North Carolina A&T, Hicks once rushed for 437 yards in a game against Morgan State. He had 34 carries, and he remembers scoring six touchdowns. He also remembers sitting out the fourth quarter because of an injury.
On Sunday, Hicks' productivity helped keep pressure off Ken Dorsey, who was sacked just once and didn't take the overall beating at quarterback that Tim Rattay has endured this year.
Hicks didn't celebrate his 139 yards so much as he registered relief that he had finally proved himself in the NFL.
"This is like a breath of fresh air," he said. "It's like a whole lot is lifted off my shoulders right now, to just get this far."
Hicks game-by-game
Date Opponent Result Car Yds Avg. TD
11/7 Seattle L 42-27 0 0 0.0 0
11/14 Carolina L 37-27 8 46 5.8 0
11/21 @ Tampa Bay L 35-3 7 36 5.1 0
11/28 Miami L 24-17 13 46 3.5 1
12/5 @ St. Louis L 16-6 3 16 5.3 0
12/12 @ Arizona W 31-28 34 139 4.1 1
Totals 65 283 4.4 2