Eagles rookie Jordan Hicks on the rise, could get starting nod Sunday

JORDAN HICKS has a hard time remembering exactly how old he was when his parents got divorced, but he knows he was very young. Growing up, he didn't know any different.

After the separation, Hicks and his mother, Kelly Justice, stayed in Indianapolis for a few years, then moved to South Carolina, where they remained until Hicks reached the fifth grade. Hicks' father, Scott, who played basketball at Notre Dame from 1984 to '87, stayed behind in Indianapolis, where he's now the head varsity basketball coach at Broad Ripple Magnet High School.

Hicks, who was born in Colorado Springs, Colo., and his mother ultimately settled in Ohio, where Hicks attended Lakota West High School and starred in football and basketball. He visited his father in Indiana regularly until his freshman year at Lakota West, when he became increasingly busy with life as an elite, two-sport athlete.

The 23-year-old rookie linebacker acknowledged that his upbringing wasn't the smoothest, but said he has never once used it as an excuse.

"I'm not the only person who's ever been through that," Hicks said of his parents' divorce. "There are people out there who have gone through 10 times more than I have, and I've never wanted to use that excuse, never used it as an excuse, and I've learned from the situation. I think I've become the person I am because of the situation.

"There were probably some things in me from that situation that kept pushing me to play and to be better, to drive to want to be great and to get to this point, make those people proud, and it's a dream come true."

Selected by the Eagles in the third round (84th overall) in this spring's NFL draft out of Texas, Hicks began the season as a third-string inside linebacker behind Demeco Ryans, Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso.

But with Alonso out with a sprained ACL and Kendricks out with a hamstring injury, Hicks might get his first NFL start Sunday at 1 p.m. on the road against the 2-0 New York Jets.

"I think he's done a really good job," Ryans said of Hicks. "He came in ahead of the game, smart kid, really picking up on everything fairly quickly. He impressed me as a rookie coming in, and now when he's out there playing, a lot of people are surprised by his play when he got the opportunity, but for me it wasn't surprising because to me he's like a veteran already.

"Just his mentality, his approach to the game, his study habits. He's just a step above all other rookies."

After playing zero defensive snaps in the Eagles' loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, the 6-1, 236-pounder made a big splash last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, recording seven tackles and, most notably, breaking quarterback Tony Romo's collarbone on a play in which he forced his first career fumble.

"Honestly, when I was out there, I was zoned in," Hicks said. "You don't really have time to think about who you're going against or who that person lining up against you is, so I was just out there, and it didn't matter if it was Tony Romo or anybody else.

"It's unfortunate that Tony got hurt on that play 'cause I watched him for a long time, especially coming from the University of Texas, so that's very unfortunate, but I was just out there trying to play football, just trying to fly around and play aggressive and have fun."

For Hicks, who had his fair share of major injuries during his college career, it was probably a relief to get up from a big play unscathed for a change.

After recording 71 combined tackles as a freshman and sophomore, Hicks was poised for a breakout junior season, starting at weakside linebacker for head coach Mack Brown. Hicks started the first three games of the 2012 season, but missed the remainder of the year with a hip flexor injury he suffered against Mississippi.

Hicks was granted a medical redshirt, but suffered another season-ending injury in 2013 when he ruptured his left Achilles' tendon in the Longhorns' fourth game of the season against Kansas State.

"I did definitely go through a tough time at the University of Texas for a couple years, but, to be very honest with you, if I was going to be out there . . . I knew that when I was out there that I'd play well," Hicks said. "It was just a matter of me staying on the field, and, going into my senior year, that was the biggest thing for me, because I knew if I did that everything would work out the way it's supposed to be."

After yet another year of grueling rehab, Hicks started every game during his senior year, making 116 total tackles with 3 1/2 sacks and two interceptions.

Staying the course, it seems, is what Hicks does best.

"I've always had dreams of being great and making it to the highest level in whatever I do, and I think that work ethic started from somewhere, and I think it's all helped me get to this point," Hicks said. "Everything happens for a reason, and the situation I've gone through, everything that's happened through the years has gotten me here."

Besides Alonso and Kendricks, defensive ends Taylor Hart (shoulder) and Cedric Thornton (hand) also were ruled out for tomorrow's game. Running back DeMarco Murray (hamstring) was listed as questionable, but ESPN, citing a team source, said he will play.