Red Hickey facts for kids
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Hickey, circa 1950
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| No. 39, 28, 53 | |
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| Position: | End |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 14, 1917 Clarksville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died: | March 30, 2006 (aged 89) Aptos, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 204 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Clarksville |
| College: | Arkansas |
| NFL Draft: | 1941 / Round: 6 / Pick: 41 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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| As executive: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 27–27–1 (.500) |
| Player stats at PFR | |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Howard Wayne "Red" Hickey (February 14, 1917 – March 30, 2006) was an important person in American football. He was both a player and a coach. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland / Los Angeles Rams. Later, Hickey became the head coach for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.
Red Hickey is famous for creating the "shotgun formation" in football in 1960. This is a special way for the offense to line up.
Contents
Early Life and School
Red Hickey was born in Clarksville, Arkansas. He started playing football when he was a student at Clarksville High School.
Hickey then went to the University of Arkansas. He played on both the football and basketball teams there. He was so good that he won awards in both sports. In 1941, he was a forward on the Razorback basketball team. They reached what was called the "Final Four" back then, though the tournament was different from today.
Playing in the NFL
The Philadelphia Eagles first chose Hickey in the 1941 NFL Draft. His playing rights were later moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played for the Cleveland Rams.
Hickey then took a break from football for three years. He served as a gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. When he came back, he joined the Rams again in 1945. That year, his team won the NFL championship! After that, the team moved to Los Angeles, and he played for the Los Angeles Rams until 1948.
Coaching in the NFL
Even though he was a top player in 1948, Hickey decided to stop playing. He became a coach for the Rams on April 20, 1949. He coached the wide receivers for six seasons. He left the team in 1954 because of disagreements with the head coach.
Just a few weeks later, Hickey became an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He helped develop a special play called the "Alley-Oop" pass. This play used the amazing jumping skills of wide receiver R.C. Owens to catch high passes. It was very successful!
After the 1958 season, Hickey became the head coach of the 49ers. He signed a three-year contract.
The Shotgun Formation
In his first year as head coach, the 49ers played very well. They almost won their division. The next year, 1960, Hickey introduced his new and creative offense. This was the "shotgun formation".
Hickey wanted to give his quarterback more time to throw the ball. So, he had the quarterback stand seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. This surprised the other team, the Baltimore Colts. The 49ers won that game, 30–22. Even more surprising, they used the shotgun formation to help their running game, not just passing. The team finished the season strong.
Challenges and Resignation
In 1961, Hickey made a big change. He traded away their star quarterback, Y. A. Tittle. At first, the team did well with new quarterbacks. But then, other teams figured out how to stop the shotgun formation. The Chicago Bears used a special defense that made it hard for the 49ers to throw.
Without a strong leader at quarterback, the team struggled. Tittle, on his new team, the New York Giants, led them to the NFL Championship game three times in a row.
The 49ers' performance got worse. After losing their first three games in 1963, Hickey resigned as head coach. He then became a scout for the Rams for the rest of that year.
Scouting and Later Life
In 1964, Red Hickey joined the Dallas Cowboys as an offensive end coach. He worked there for two years. He was considered for the head coach job for the new Atlanta Falcons team, but someone else got the job. Six weeks later, Hickey left coaching to become a scout for the Cowboys.
Hickey spent the next two decades as a Cowboys scout. He was proud when the Cowboys started using his "shotgun formation" again in 1975. They used it in special situations, and it became a popular strategy that is still used today. He retired as a scout in 1982.
In 1968, Red Hickey was added to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. His son, Mike, also became a scout in football.
Images for kids
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Hickey, circa 1950
