Hardy Nickerson
Nickerson - 2025 State Championship trophy | |||||||||||||
| No. 54, 56 | |||||||||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | September 1, 1965 Compton, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 233 lb (106 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Verbum Dei (Los Angeles, California) | ||||||||||||
| College | California (1983–1986) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1987: 5th round, 122nd overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
As player:
As coach:
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Hardy Otto Nickerson Sr. (born September 1, 1965) is an American former professional football player and coach. He played as a linebacker for four teams over 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) from 1987 to 2002. He played college football for the California Golden Bears. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 1987 NFL draft. Nickerson spent the prime of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The hiring of head coaches Sam Wyche and Tony Dungy allowed him to play in the middle in a 4–3 defense for both coaches; Nickerson played in a 3–4 defense with the Steelers. While playing in the 4–3, he went to five Pro Bowls, and was selected for the National Football League 1990s All-Decade Team.
On December 17, 2025 he was named as head coach at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, CA.