Mike Hickmon, an American coach of a junior football team, was shot and killed by a rival.
A deadly rivalry. Junior football coach Mike Hickmon was killed Saturday in Texas during a game. The Lancaster Police Department said in a statement that the 43-year-old coach was shot and killed by Yaqub Talib, coach of another team. The 39-year-old is the brother of former NFL star Aqib Talib. Authorities said the crime took place on land about 20 miles from Dallas around 9 p.m.
Witnesses, quoted by the website of the magazine “People” spoke to the police of a “disagreement between the coaches of two teams about a matter of arbitration”. The quarrel would then have escalated to the point of becoming a physical altercation. The shots then rang out. Police said the suspect initially fled while the victim was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Yaqub Talib ended up surrendering to the police on Monday, his lawyer confirmed to “People”. “Mr. Talib regrets the tragic loss of life but he chose to surrender so he could tell his side of the story,” he said.
“Mike was a mentor for the younger ones”
According to WFAA-TV, Mike Hickmon was the DEA Dragons’ offensive coordinator. The team president said the deceased man was “more than just a coach”. “He was a great father, a great man, an example, a mentor. I took his son, Little Mike Jr. in my arms and I held him like a son, it was really very, very, very hard to console him… I told him that we would be there for him”, he commented.
Walter Priestley, a friend of the victim and former teammate, told the “Denton Record-Chronicle” how his comrade was “devoted to his son, to young athletes, and to his family”. “He loved coaching, both football and athletics. He had just returned from the AAU national athletics meet. He loved being around children,” he said. “Mike was a mentor to the younger guys,” said former University of North Texas quarterback Scott Hall, who played with him when they were students. “He was an old soul. Even when he was in his twenties, he was very wise. He was calm, laid back and had wise words for us, whether before or after a game. Following the tragedy, Mike Hickmon’s family released a statement: “On behalf of the Hickmon family, we would like to thank everyone for the love we have received. This is a very difficult time for our family and our community. Michael was our everything. He was incredibly kind and generous. He liked to laugh and make others laugh. He could also be sarcastic and drive you crazy. But we loved him, because all those things made him what he is.