Which Past Ole Miss Football Players Had the Greatest NFL Careers?

Gene Hickerson, Guard - 1958-60, 1962-73

Another Tennessee native, Gene Hickerson, chose to play his college football at the University of Mississippi as a tackle. The Cleveland Browns selected Hickerson in the seventh round of the 1957 NFL draft.

After being drafted by the Browns, Hickerson was moved to the guard position on the offensive line, where he excelled for the team. He had two spells with the team, sitting out the 1961 season after breaking his leg and then fracturing the same leg later in the same year.

When Hickerson returned for the 1962 season, he missed two games, then played every game until he retired in 1973. During that time, he made 6 Pro Bowls, all in consecutive seasons from 1965 to 1970. The last five of those were as a First-team All-Pro.

The season before his Pro Bowl streak, he made Second-team All-Pro while also becoming an NFL champion in 1964. The Browns beat the Baltimore Colts 27-0, with all the Cleveland points coming in the second half.

During his time with the team, the former Ole Miss tackle blocked for three Hall of Fame backs, including the great Jim Brown. Hickerson became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, inducted by his friend and fellow Ole Miss and Cleveland teammate Bobby Franklin.