ATHLETES KNOW THAT AS GREAT AS SPORTS ARE, THEY CAN BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU IN AN INSTANT… MAYBE IT’S AN INJURY IN A GAME, OR MAYBE SOMETHING HAPPENS OFF THE FIELD…
FOR DAVID HICKS, JUNIOR, THERE WAS A BRIEF MOMENT THIS PAST SPRING WHEN THAT FEAR SET IN… HE WAS HANGING OUT WITH SOME FRIENDS, WHEN A GUNMAN OPENED FIRE ON THE CROWD…….A BULLET HIT D.J. IN THE LEG…
FORTUNATELY FOR D.J., HIS INJURY TURNED OUT TO BE RELATIVELY MINOR… THE BULLET WENT RIGHT THROUGH HIS LEG WITHOUT HITTING ANY BONES OR MAJOR ARTERIES… HE WAS BACK ON THE FIELD TRAINING IN LESS THAN A MONTH… D.J. IS BACK TO 100 PERCENT… AND AT HIS BEST, HE’S AS GOOD AS ANY RECRUIT IN THE COUNTRY…
HE’S RANKED AMONG THE TOP TEN PROSPECTS IN THE NATION, AND SOME SAY HE’S THE NUMBER ONE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN FOR 2023…
THIS IS D.J’S 3RD SCHOOL IN 3 YEARS, AS HIS FATHER HAS CHANGED JOBS A FEW TIMES SINCE HE’S BEEN IN HIGH SCHOOL… BUT HE’S EXCITED TO SPEND HIS SENIOR YEAR AT PAETOW. AND THE PANTHERS SURE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE HIM.