We’ve all seen them. Hot-shot rookies who enjoy early success, let it get to their heads, think they’ve arrived, start taking bows, and then forget to keep doing the things that got them in that position in the first place.
Think of a rookie who got off to a great start and just as quickly fizzled out, and that’s the likely scenario.
Then there’s Jordan Hicks, the biggest surprise of this Eagles season and one of the biggest defensive surprises in the NFL so far this year.
Hicks, who began the year as the Eagles’ fourth inside linebacker, is one of only two players in the NFL this year with at last one sack, interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery. Veteran Broncos safety David Bruton is the other.
Hicks has made at least one big play in every game he’s played since entering the lineup, and just five games into the season — and three starts into his career — he’s only the third Eagles rookie ever with a sack, INT, forced fumble and fumble recovery. The others were Ray Farmer and Michael Lewis.
But Hicks is the last kid that you expect to see change after some early success.
“It’s easy when you’re around DeMeco [Ryans] and this linebacking crew, who’s so good,” Hicks said. “Every day you come in here you’ve got someone to look to as an example of where you want to be one day and what it takes to get there and then you come in and see all the mistakes you made in the game.
“It’s all about the process, all about continually getting better each game.”
Hicks, the Eagles’ third-round pick from Texas, began the season as an unknown and untested special teamer. But when Kiko Alonso and Mychal Kendricks both got hurt in the Dallas game, Hicks suddenly found himself starting.
Despite not playing defense in the opener against the Falcons, Hicks leads all Eagles inside linebackers with 268 snaps. Over the last three weeks, he’s played 214 of a possible 232 snaps.
And the big plays? They’ve been routine.
Hicks had a sack and forced fumble on Tony Romo in the Dallas game, knocking Romo out of commission for a couple months. He had and an interception and fumble recovery against the Jets. And he has fumble recoveries in each of the last two games.
Hicks and Darrelle Revis are the only players in the NFL with three fumble recoveries already. And Hicks is only the 10th rookie in NFL history with a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.
And that’s with 10 games to play.
He’s also the first Eagle with a fumble recovery three straight weeks since Byron Evans in 1993.
“Jordan is a really humble kid and he has a consistent approach every week,” Ryans said. “He takes the approach like a vet and I haven’t seen anything change based on him having the success he’s had. He’s still the same Jordan.”
It’s not just about the big plays for Hicks. He’s one of the reasons the Eagles have been very good against the run this year, and he’s got 34 tackles in the four games he’s played so far on defense.
Hicks has actually already made as many big plays in the NFL than he made in four years at Texas.
“I had a fumble recovery my sophomore year and two interceptions my senior year and that was it,” he said, neglecting to mention his 3½ sacks. “It just shows you that in any point in time, you run to the ball, good things can happen.”
It didn’t take Hicks long to earn the confidence of his position coaches, who trust him to make the defensive calls when Ryans isn’t on the field.
“He's done a great job with that,” head coach Chip Kelly said. “He's really in-tune to the game plan every week.
“I've said it, and I say it as a compliment, since he got here, he's never acted like a rookie. He's just been really mature in his approach and his understanding of what we are trying to do. I know Billy [outside linebackers coach Bill McGovern] and Rick [inside linebackers coach Rick Miller] have extreme confidence in him, so if he's in charge calling everything and making every call, he can certainly do that and has done that.”
A month ago, Hicks was a backup in an area where the Eagles appeared to be at their deepest, with Ryans, Kendricks and Alonso.
Now, he’s one of the steadiest players on the defense.
“It’s pretty crazy, right?” Hicks said at his locker Thursday. “Looking back, I saw my role coming in at the very beginning as special teams. That’s where it was the Atlanta game and first half of Cowboys game and just like that things changed.
“It shows you’ve got to be ready for every opportunity you get. The ball’s been bouncing my way and it might not be bouncing my way too many more times but hopefully it does. I’ll just continue to play consistent and try to do everything I can to be around the ball.”
Hicks and the Eagles' defense will have their hands full Monday night when they face the Giants at the Linc.
Looking ahead, there’s no question Hicks has earned reps if and when Hendricks and Alonso return to action.
You just can’t take a guy playing at this level off the field.
“It’s one quarter of the season, it’s a small sampling,” Davis said. “But we love what we’ve seen so far.”