Hardy Nickerson now works as a high school coach after starring in the NFL for 16 years, but when moving to a new job, the former linebacker had many of his prized possessions stolen
09:15 ET, 19 Feb 2026Updated 09:15 ET, 19 Feb 2026
Hardy Nickerson enjoyed his best days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Hardy Nickerson enjoyed his best days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers(Image: Getty Images)READ MORE: Tom Brady's Raiders make interview request with Fernando Mendoza in mindREAD MORE: 49ers face second huge NFL trip abroad after being sent to Australia
In Florida, Nickerson was named a first-time All-Pro twice and to the Pro Bowl five times. The former linebacker led the NFL in combined tackles in 1993 and was subsequently named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.
He closed out his time in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers, retiring after a 16-year pro career. He collected many mementos throughout his career, including awards, jerseys, and autographed helmets that hold great sentimental value for him.
Unfortunately, the items are potentially of significant monetary value to collectors. Nickerson has reported that many of his items have been stolen.
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Nickerson works as a high school football coach these days and was in the process of moving to San Juan Capistrano, California, to begin his new job as head coach at JSerra Catholic High School. But his moving crew stopped at a Hampton Inn in Santa Clarita overnight, and the next morning, they discovered that the locks on the back of the truck had been cut.
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Hardy Nickerson has lost memorabilia, including the 1998 Byron “Whizzer” White NFL Man of the Year Award
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Hardy Nickerson has lost memorabilia, including the 1998 Byron “Whizzer” White NFL Man of the Year Award(Image: Amy Nickerson)
Nickerson learned his property had been stolen — and he hopes to get some of his items back. He told CBS News: “Hopefully, someone will see that if they’re trying to sell it and say, ‘Hey, wait a minute, I believe that was lost,’ or no, ‘Stolen!’ If it has my name on it, please get it back to me.”
Ultimately, Nickerson is particularly distraught at losing the 1998 Byron “Whizzer” White NFL Man of the Year Award. The award was bestowed upon him by the NFL Players Association for his leadership both on and off the field.
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“The Byron ‘Whizzer’ White Award, which was given to, like, the man of the year,” Nickerson added. “Huge, huge award.”
Following his NFL career, Nickerson went into coaching after retiring and has coached at the high school, college, and professional levels. He spent time with multiple NFL teams, including the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and the Buccaneers. Nickerson then enjoyed his first stint with Bishop O'Dowd from 2010 to 2013 and acted as the defensive coordinator for the University of Illinois in 2017 and 2018.