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Hardy boys Bucs' Nickerson stuck it out through tough times
Posted: Friday January 21, 2000 07:35 PM
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Tampa Bay's Hardy Nickerson had a lot to be thankful for this season, even before the Buccaneers earned a spot in Sunday's NFC championship game. A year ago, the middle linebacker was recovering from pericarditis, his future in football uncertain. He bounced back from the illness, which doctors describe as an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart, in time to play in the Pro Bowl in January. However, no one could be sure how it would affect his play during the course of an entire season. Nickerson responded by having one of his most satisfying years, finishing second on the team with 141 tackles. He also forced three fumbles and had two interceptions, including a last-minute, end-zone pick that sealed a 17-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He's headed to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time, one shy of Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon's club record for appearances. He also was selected to second team All-Pro. Nickerson has had years when his individual stats have been better, but considering where he was a year ago and where the Bucs are now -- the NFC championship game, one step away from the Super Bowl -- it ranks among his best seasons. "I was talking to a friend of mine, and it was like: `Man, you've gone from basically your deathbed to a championship game, and what a difference a year makes,'" the 34-year-old linebacker said. "Yeah, it's special. I'm excited about it. As a player, you couldn't ask for anything better." In terms of seniority, only three players have been on the Bucs roster longer than Nickerson, who's finishing his seventh season with Tampa Bay and 13th overall. But unlike left tackle Paul Gruber and center Tony Mayberry, who were drafted, or tight end Dave Moore, who signed as a practice squad player after being cut four times by the Miami Dolphins, Nickerson had a choice -- twice. He signed with the Bucs as an unrestricted free agent in 1993, saying he relished the challenge of helping then-coach Sam Wyche build a championship contender. It didn't happen, but he still re-signed with Tampa Bay after Tony Dungy replaced Wyche following the 1995 season. "I just believed that with the players we had here, with Tony coming in ... that he would be the guy that would be able to turn around and turn this team into a contender. And sure enough, he has."
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