S Ronnie Hickman (8.30.23)
How special does it feel to be on the 53 coming from the path you had to take to get there?
“Extremely special. A lot of emotions. Still remember the day of draft day, of not getting that call. So just kind of using those emotions to drive me and help me get to the point where I’m at now.”
Ronnie, I know you said like last week or two weeks ago that you weren’t focused on the end result. You were just trying to go about the process. How did you compartmentalize that, looking back?
“I think it worked for the better, ending up where I’m at right now. There was a lot of outside noise, a lot of people telling you this or you seeing stuff online, but I chose to not focus on those things. And I thank my family for kind of letting me just hone in on the football aspect of things and keeping the main thing the main thing.”
When did you find out?
“I want to say around like 10:30 in the morning yesterday. I was laying in bed. I knew the call was coming at some point. It kind of felt like Draft day all over again, I was joking with my family. But I knew it was coming at some point in the morning. And luckily it was at 10:30 a.m.”
Was that a nervous couple of days?
“Anxious to say the least. Just because you know you’re going to get a call, but you’re not sure what the answer is going to be. But I felt like I did what I could and it was no longer my decision at that time, so it was out of my control.”
Were you drawing inspiration from Rodney McLeod this summer? Guy was undrafted and has a perfect career going on?
“Yeah, 100%. Big thing that I’m fortunate to be a part of was just being able to be a sponge to a guy like Rodney. A guy with a lot of years and experience under his belt. And luckily, he was willing to share it all, whether it was questions just off the field, or on the field. He was a guy who was like an open book. So myself and pretty much everyone in the room, including coaches, were able to learn from him. And he’s twelve years in the league, so he knows a lot.”
D’Anthony (Bell) went through the same, took the same path a year ago. How much did you kind of commiserate with him?
“Yeah. Any quick questions I had about this whole undrafted process, I was right in D’Anthony’s ear. Like you said, he came from it. He did the exact same thing I did, so he’s been a huge help as well.”
Now that you’ve made it when you flashback to that Draft day and not getting picked, was it an easy decision to come here or did you have a couple (of options) and did you just wind up picking the Browns?
“I mean, I give a lot of that credit to my agent. I hired him to make decisions like that. Luckily, he led me down the right path. So, it kind of worked out in that way.”
When you don’t get drafted, I know obviously that’s not what you wanted. Did it take a while to kind of reset and say, I can still get where I want to go even though I wasn’t drafted?
“Yes, 100%. You kind of have to. Things happen quickly, and once I was still able to, you know, there’s still a lot of people who would kill to be in the shoes that I was in, being an undrafted guy. So, once you think about it from that perspective and realize that you got a chance to do something 1% got to do and realize that it’s a blessing, it kind of worked out.”
If I remember correctly, I think you had three interceptions at Ohio State in your collegiate career, three in one preseason here. Just that nose for the football. How did you develop it? Where did that come from?
“Just opportunity. This game is about opportunity. You never know when your number’s called, but when your number’s called, you got to make the play. And that’s kind of a thing we used to say at Ohio State. So, when your number’s called, you want to go out there and make the play not only for yourself but for your teammates as well.”
How much did going up against (Marvin) Harrison and those wide receivers at Ohio State in practice prepare you for this?
“I mean, tremendous. I mean, there’s a little next step when you get out here to the professional level, but the guys there back at Ohio State, they’re all going to be in the same shoes I’m in within the next few years. So, it’s good to kind of build that competitive edge and that competitive culture at Ohio State, so I’m thankful for it.”
What kind of career do you think CJ Stroud is going to have?
“Sky’s the limit for a kid like that. He has it up here, he has it on the field. And one thing I like about CJ the most is he’s a leader. So being a quarterback, that’s one thing you have to pride yourself on, and I’m sure he does.”
How important is that special team for you to make it on this roster?
“The most important, if I’m being honest – the most important, like I said earlier, whenever you’re on the field, you want to make a play and allow the coaches to trust you and the players to trust you when you step on that field. So, whenever you get a chance, you have to make the most of it.
Ronnie, got thoughts on Ohio State this year? How do you think your former team is going to do?
“Natty.”
So, the anxiety is over. Been able to take a deep breath or are you still kind of anxious about what’s next?
“Nah, man. The rent’s due every day, for real. So, it’s a small aside, but the rent’s do every day around here. In this profession, you got to earn it every day.”
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