Nichols Enjoys Challenge Of No. 1 Jersey

By Jamar Ross

On Oct. 1, 2007, cornerback Ricky Nichols of Norfolk’s Maury High School became the first player to verbally commit to the new Old Dominion football program. His No. 1 Monarch jersey reflects this, as well as his intention of being a team’s leader.

“I chose No. 1 because I was the first person to commit, but also because it shows leadership,” says Nichols. “When you’re wearing that jersey you have to lead by example, by how you perform on and off the field. I look at the No. 1 jersey as a responsibility of leadership.”

Nichols, who also had offers from Akron, Temple, James Madison and Delaware, said his decision to attend Old Dominion came down to three main factors. “It was a chance for me to play close to home, where my family and friends would be able to watch me play,” explained the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Nichols, who plans to major in business management. “ODU also has great academic programs, which will help me be an all-around student-athlete. But the primary reason was the coaching staff.”

Growing up in Norfolk, Nichols has seen a change in the mind-set of local high school football players who now view ODU as a viable option for continuing their career in the sport. “Now that we are a little more established, players in the area are excited about the opportunity to play for Old Dominion,” he said.

Nichols, an All-District player at Maury, registered 65 tackles, seven interceptions and eight pass breakups as a senior. And he showed flashes of things to come during the Monarchs’ fall practices. He possesses the ability to lock down one side of the field from the secondary, and the aggressiveness to come up and support the run. Now both he and head coach Bobby Wilder hope he can build upon that.

“Ricky made progress as a player throughout the fall,” said Wilder. “Like all of our players, he is learning the demands of being a student-athlete. We have high expectations for Ricky that he was made aware of even before he verbally committed to Old Dominion. Being the first at anything you do in life is always challenging. If he is willing to work hard every day, he could become a very good player for our team.”