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[Dave Johnson]

Hampton's P.J. Hicks headed for Coffeyville CC

By Dave Johnson
djohnson@dailypress.com | 247-4649

P.J. Hicks went into his senior year at Hampton High as an unknown commodity in football. And even after a solid season — 23 catches, 458 yards, first-team All-Peninsula District — it was hard for Hicks to get any recruiting attention.
But after a head-turning performance in last month’s VHSCA All-Star game, Hicks will be headed to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. From there, he hopes to land a Division I-A scholarship — preferably at Virginia Tech, where he would be joining former Crabber teammate and close friend Tyrod Taylor.
Hicks is to leave Sunday for Coffeyville, where he plans to redshirt this season before playing one year in 2008. That way, he would be able to transfer to an NCAA school with three years of eligibility.
Though Hicks has ideal size (6-foot-4, 205 pounds) and good hands, recruiters were unaware of him because he didn’t play football until his senior year. Though NCAA rules prohibited coaches from watching the all-star game, Hicks believes he helped his case by catching seven passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns.
"The all-star game helped me a lot," he said. "The people who had doubts and questions about me, it showed them I can be a good player."