In a world where in many ways social media rules the roost Nick Henrich and Chris Hickman are like a lot of 17- and 18-year-old kids. They are plugged in. And they are stars, stars of an epic nature.
As the two most highly coveted members of Nebraska’s high school Class of 2019 they are outstanding football players, both of them with Division I scholarship futures. High end Division I scholarship futures.
As a result they have their faces plastered all over social media, all types of media really, and are by most every measure you can imagine the two most famous Nebraska high school football recruits of all time. Bold statement? Not really. As the reach and impact of all types of social media has left its mark on society the latest recruiting tidbit regarding Nick and Chris, Chris and Nick, is treated the way presidential news bulletins once were.
Of course all of that has come to pass because of the reach and impact the boys have had on the game of high school football in our state. Under the Friday Night Lights these boys have left their mark, bet on it.
As for all the hoopla surrounding their recruiting standing - as this is written neither has pulled the trigger - they remain mostly unruffled, unaffected. They are just plain ol’ Nick and Chris, Chris and Nick.
“I sure didn’t expect it to blow up like this. It’s like a dream, not reality, but you keep your head down and do your work. Just be you,” says Chris. Nick chimes in by adding, “I have always believed in myself. I don’t need social media to tell me that. But it has been crazy and an honor to be part of it all.”
Something else Nick and Chris are part of is maybe the best Class A football team in the state for 2018. After reaching last year’s semifinals their Omaha Burke team enters the preseason ranked No. 1; not bad for a program that was 3-6 the year they entered high school.
“We have an incredible group of seniors who have been together and working together since we were freshmen. We also have great coaches who push us to be our best. You will never hear anybody on our team complaining about having to work hard because we have seen the results,” says Nick. Chris agrees with all that, especially about the great coaching the team receives, adding, “we have some talent but we are also closer than we have ever been. We enjoy each other’s company and we know our teammates have our back.”
With Henrich and Hickman part of the winning solution - along with other big-time talents in their grade, including running back James Burks, QB Tyler Chadwick and lineman Dylan Sales - the Bulldogs were headliners in 2017, finishing 9-3 and reaching the state playoffs semifinals. Yeah, about that semifinal game...the Bulldogs led Omaha North by two touchdowns entering the fourth quarter before losing 29-28.
“It was terrible to lose like that and have it be the last game for our seniors. It was a really great game but we made too many mistakes to beat a great team like North,” says Henrich.
Burke head coach Paul Limongi has seen Henrich and Hickman work their way up through the Bulldog ranks and can quickly put a finger on a major reason for the pair’s successes, both on and off the field.
“From the beginning they have both been very easy to coach. They do what they are told and do it at a tremendous pace, setting a great example for everybody in the room. And they are very respectful young men,”says Coach Limongi. “Our entire senior class is like that, though. We have a lot of great young men who work tremendously hard and are always pushing one another to be their best.”
When the pair entered high school Henrich was actually a defensive lineman and Hickman a shifty halfback. Today Henrich has moved to linebacker where he has established himself as one of the best high school players in the country and Hickman has done the same with his move to tight end and defensive end. “Before the first game I was told to play linebacker I was so scared,” says Henrich, though the terror he felt had little to do with his game assignment. “Me and (his older brother) Andrew (Henrich) had gone to Subway for a sandwich before the game and our car broke down. We were pushing it down the street, late for the game.”
Oh how opposing offenses whish ol’ Nick could be late for some games this season.
As for their final season of high school football together, of course they both want to win a state title. Of course they’d just as soon do it in undefeated fashion. But there’s more than just winning that is on their mind.
“We have a great bunch of teammates who are also great friends. We have worked hard together, we have won together and we have lost together,” says Chris. “We have a great bond and getting to experience that as seniors will be really special.”
