Against all odds: 4th Down and Forever

Les Hicks encountered a life-altering experience and a date with destiny when the legendary Jack Lengyel, the head coach of Marshall University, recruited him. Lengyel told Hicks, “Other schools may want you, but we need you.” Hicks joined an eclectic group of athletes recruited from other sports, along with freshmen players and a host of walk-ons. This team took on the emotionally staggering task of reestablishing football at the school. Their task was not so much to win championships but simply to play competitively and position the program for future success. During his time at Marshall and in the following years, Hicks faced his share of adversity. Hicks’ date with destiny unraveled when he suffered a partially torn deltoid. His playing time and grades decreased as his frustration escalated. Hicks’ twist of fate took him to the brink of suicide. In 2005, Marshall University named Hicks as one of its “125 Most Impactful Black Athletes,” and Hicks was also honored at his high school in Steubenville, Ohio. where his family had been jeered because of their impoverished condition. Forty-two years later, he was cheered while tossing the coin and serving as the honorary captain at his high school’s homecoming game. If you root for the underdog, this book will reveal how the Marshall football program and Hicks’ life rose from ashes to glory, both achieving levels of success neither had imagined possible.