Hardy Nickerson

Hardy Nickerson was one of the most dominant linebackers of his era. Nickerson spent 16 seasons in the NFL and was originally a fifth-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft. He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but entered into his prime with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From 1993-99, he was named to five Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro. In 1997, Nickerson was named the "Whizzer" White Man of the Year. He was also selected to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team. Nickerson went on to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers before retiring after the 2002 season. He went into coaching after his career, serving as the linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears in 2007. Nickerson was the head coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School in California from 2010-13. He then jumped back into the NFL ranks as the Buccaneers linebackers coach under Lovie Smith for two seasons. Nickerson followed Smith to the University of Illinois to be his defensive coordinator from 2016-18.