 "Photo: Tyler McDermott")
Despite initially annoucing that he would leave the game of football after a prolific career at UNH, former Wildcat tight end Scott Sicko has announced that he will sign a free-agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.
Sicko, who went undrafted in the seven-round draft this past weekend, had originally decided to opt out of any free-agent offers and set his sights on graduate school, where he would continue studying history and education, with a possible political science minor.
Sicko admits that his original decision may have been a bit rash, but after weighing his options, he realized that there was a great opportunity to continue playing the game he loves.
“Immediately after the draft I had so many things going through my head, looking back on it now I probably just made a little bit of a rash decision,” Sicko said. “It was really impressive how much [the Cowboys] stuck with me, even after the draft, and were talking to me about possibly playing in the future, and now I have an opportunity to go in and try to make the team.”
Sicko said that the chance to play professional football is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and for him, it’s like a childhood dream come true to get that chance.
“Throughout this whole thing I’ve always said I loved the game of football, and it’s always been a huge part of my life,” Sicko said. “I’m just happy that I am taking advantage of the opportunity to potentially continue my career forever. It’s an incredible honor to be able to play in the NFL, especially to be able to play for an organization like the Dallas Cowboys.”
At UNH in 2009, Sicko’s senior campaign as a Wildcat, he caught 57 passes for 725 yards and nine touchdowns. Sicko is currently listed at 6-foot-4, 255 pounds. During his pro day, he ran a 4.55 40-yard dash, and was ranked in the top 20 tight ends in the nation prior to the draft.
The decision to join the Cowboys was made early Tuesday morning, April 27. The Cowboys had pursued Sicko for some time after the completion of the draft, and even continued talks with him and his agent, J.R. Rickert, after Sicko announced his leave from football for good.
Along with the Cowboys, teams that submitted Sicko free-agent offers originally included the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, the New York Jets, and the Jacksonville Jaguars (the team in which former UNH teammate Chad Kackert signed with over the weekend). The Indianapolis Colts expressed early interest in the tight end when they scouted him during personal workouts.
Since graduate school was what Sicko originally planned to do, he said that he will probably be taking a few online courses over the course of the offseason, but it’s too early to tell where and what he’ll be focusing on.
UNH head football coach Sean McDonnell said that the decision to return to football and sign with the Cowboys was not a surprising one, as Sicko is a very focused and hard-working individual who loves the game.
“The difference between Scott and a lot of kids like him is that when he decides to do something, the lights go on, he plays hurt, he’s tough, he works very hard,” McDonnell said. “There isn’t an ounce of anything I wouldn’t want in a football player. Did it surprise me when he said that he wasn’t going to play after he didn’t get drafted? Absolutely not. Does it surprise me that he’s changed his mind? No.”
Coach McDonnell said that Sicko has talked with a few people about his decision, and has seen other options with free agency that he didn’t know existed originally.
“I’ll tell you one thing, the Cowboys are going to get everything [Sicko]’s got,” McDonnell said.
Sicko now gets the opportunity to play and learn behind NFL All-Pro tight end Jason Witten, a player who has emerged onto the football scene as an incredibly talented and skilled pass catcher.
“He’s an absolutely phenomenal player,” Sicko said. “I’m going to try to learn everything possible that I can from him.”
Sicko will be flying down to Dallas to meet with the coaches and the team on Thursday. He will attend basic meetings and fly back to UNH on Sunday.
After an incredible journey, and a brief retirement from the game he loves, Scott Sicko is now a Dallas Cowboy.
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