Football

Offensive tackle Sean Hickey comes back from illness to complete strong Pro Day performance

Logan Reidsma | Asst. Photo Editor

Offensive lineman Sean Hickey answers questions after Syracuse's Pro Day on Tuesday at the Cliff Ensley Athletic Center.

Sean Hickey was “a little bit of a nervous wreck” coming into Syracuse’s Pro Day on Tuesday, said Will Hicks, assistant athletics director for athletic performance.

Six days before, he came down with a stomach virus, which he dealt with until Sunday. Hickey had to receive IV fluids and dropped from his 309-pound weight at the NFL combine to 301 pounds.

He didn’t work out on Thursday, but did the rest of the days despite “feeling like crap.”

“I rolled my eyes right when I got this, I said you’ve got to be kidding me,” Hickey said.

Hickey battled through residual effects of the illness and was able to increase his bench press repetitions. He felt fatigued during the bench press and 40-yard dash, but said the rest of the drills went well.



“I just wanted to come out, prove I’m healthy … and put up some good numbers,” Hickey said.

Hickey managed 27 inches with his vertical, which he expected, then moved onto the bench press, where he tired quicker than he expected, despite ultimately topping his combine total.

“Typically I try to go to 33 or 35 without stopping,” Hickey said. “I went to 30 or 31 and then I took my break.”

He didn’t participate in the 40-yard dash at the combine because of a hamstring injury. On Tuesday, he tired toward the end of his first attempt, but was able to get into the 5.1-second range, Hicks said.

Hickey said he displayed his athleticism in the short shuttle and three-cone drills, but thought he could’ve improved his broad jump distance.

He was expecting three attempts, but only got two.

Hickey has had five workouts with individual line coaches, he said, and has a sixth set for Saturday.

“They’ve all went extremely well,” Hickey said. “… Typically a lot of the guys only get like three or four … a lot of them pop up a week before the draft right before the draft so we’ll see what happens.”

He’ll take a day off on Wednesday to continue recovering from the illness then return to his hometown of Murrysville, Pennsylvania at the end of the week or beginning of the next, where he’ll be for the draft.

Said Hickey: “A goodbye is going to suck but at the same time I’ll be at home … waiting for the draft and just keep preparing.”





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