Frankie Hickson’s first chance came after The Last Dance.
Not long after watching an engrossing documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Frankie Hickson sparkled for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in his initial start of the 2024 season.
He rushed 16 times for 117 yards during Thursday’s CFL game against the host Montreal Alouettes.
“Last week kind of just fell into place,” Hickson told reporters after Tuesday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium. “I hadn’t watched The Last Dance, ever. Then, last week, I kind of sat down and watched The Last Dance, so that was great.
“They had some great ’80s and ’90s music that I kind of grew up on, so I kind of added that to the playlist. That put me in a really good vibe, too.
“Everything was kind of poetry in motion last week. We’ve just to come out with a win.”
Why did he choose The Last Dance?
“I’m a fan of success,” Hickson replied. “(Running Backs Coach Anthony) Vitale always says that he likes to study success and I kind of view myself the same way. You find the people who have been successful and kind of just model after them.
“You can’t be Michael Jordan. You can’t be Patrick Mahomes or any of these greats. But you can be the best version of yourself.”
That version was on display during Thursday’s first half, in which Hickson gained 96 yards on 12 carries to help the Roughriders assume a 16-3 halftime lead at Percival Molson Stadium.
The Alouettes took over in the second half and won 20-16.
“It’s always frustrating to come back not victorious, but that’s why we come back out here this week and that’s why we get better at what we do every single day,” Hickson said.
A.J. Ouellette was the Roughriders’ starting tailback for the first six games before being sidelined by a hip injury, opening the door for Hickson to receive front-line duty.
Ouellette did not practise on Tuesday. Hickson’s participation in the workout was limited by a hamstring injury, but he should be available to play on Saturday against the visiting Edmonton Elks (5 p.m., CKRM, TSN).
“I’m preparing to do whatever the Riders need me to do,” Hickson said. “Ultimately, they’ll let me know.
“I’ll just go out there and give it everything I’ve got for Rider Nation, for my teammates, for my God and for my family.”
Taking into account the effectiveness of the ground game in Montreal, Head Coach Corey Mace has pondered the feasibility of keeping Hickson in the lineup when Ouellette is ready to return to the field.
“It’s a good problem,” Mace said. “How can we get them both on?
“With A.J., it’s still the same process, just like other weeks. We just want to give him the best opportunity to go out there on game day.
“Speaking to that, a lot of teams have two-back systems and if we did shake the roster for it to be that way, it’s definitely another dimension to our offence.”
Hickson’s explosiveness was evident in 2022, when he rushed for 533 yards in 13 games en route to being named the Roughriders’ top rookie. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
Since Hickson’s rookie year, he has registered two of the Roughriders’ three longest touchdown runs.
July 8, 2022: Hickson ran for a 63-yard score against the visiting Ottawa REDBLACKS.
Oct. 7, 2023: Jamal Morrow scored on a 32-yarder against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Mosaic Stadium.
July 25, 2024: Hickson registered a 20-yard major in Montreal.
“People have seen his explosive ability,” Mace said. “We’ve seen it since camp started. That’s why we feel confident going into any game with Frankie.
“It was fun to see him really take advantage of the opportunity after biding time and treating it like a pro.”
Hickson’s professionalism and performance impressed Shea Patterson.
“I missed A.J. out there, but it’s another guy just stepping up and being ready for that opportunity,” the 27-year-old Roughriders quarterback said.
“Frankie has worked his tail off all camp and all year, and even all of last year as well. He didn’t see the field much last year as well, so I was really happy for him.
“I’m really happy to see guys put in the work and eventually get to show what they can do. That was really cool to see.”
On Thursday, Hickson exceeded 100 rushing yards for the second time as a CFLer. He had 15 carries for 129 yards against the host B.C. Lions on Aug. 27, 2022.
Most recently, Hickson registered the 277th 100-plus-yards rushing performance by a Roughrider.
He also became the 39th player in franchise history to record multiple 100-yard games.
MOST 100-YARD RUSHING GAMES BY A ROUGHRIDER
75 — George Reed
17 — Kenton Keith
14 — Kory Sheets
13 — Mike Saunders
9 — Ed Buchanan
9 — Wes Cates
8 — Milson Jones
8 — Tim McCray
8 — Robert Mimbs
7 — Darren Davis
7 — Mike Strickland
6 — Bobby Marlow
5 — Bill Gray
4 — Anthony Allen
4 — Cookie Gilchrist
4 — Molly McGee
4 — Jamal Morrow
4 — William Powell
3 — Lucius Floyd
3 — Silas McKinnie
3 — Steve Molnar
3 — Ray Purdin
3 — Bobby Thompson
3 — Michael Washington
2 — Lester Brown
2 — Ferd Burket
2 — Will Ford
2 — Nealon Greene
2 — Frankie Hickson
2 — Corey Holmes
2 — Bobby Johnson
2 — Darren Joseph
2 — Kerry Joseph
2 — Harry Lunn
2 — Cameron Marshall
2 — Jerome Messam
2 — Tommy Reamon
2 — Sedrick Shaw
2 — Reggie Slack
