Director of College Scouting
Entering his 14th season with the Buccaneers overall and fifth as the Director of College Scouting, Dennis Hickey has helped lead the Buccaneers to eight winning seasons, four division titles and one Super Bowl championship during his 13-year tenure.Hickey is responsible for coordinating a staff of regional scouts and managing the compilation of information on college players which has proven to be invaluable during the Buccaneers draft process.
With Hickey’s assistance, the 2006 draft produced four rookies who saw starting action in their first season, including G Davin Joseph who has since developed into one of the NFL’s best guards while earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl following the 2008 season. In 2007, Hickey helped assemble a draft class that included two rookies that were selected to the PFW/PFWA All-Rookie team in DE Gaines Adams, who led all NFL rookies with six sacks, and G Arron Sears, as well as standout FS Tanard Jackson who started all 16 games for the Buccaneers.
The 2008 draft produced CB Aqib Talib, who tied for first in the NFL among rookies with four interceptions, OL Jeremy Zuttah, who started at both guard positions, and LB Geno Hayes, who was a big contributor on special teams. The Buccaneers also procured talent through the signing of undrafted rookie free agents RB/KR Clifton Smith and CB Elbert Mack. Smith was selected to the 2009 AFC/NFC Pro Bowl as the kick returner and was named AP Second-Team All-Pro kick returner while Mack appeared in 15 games in the secondary and on special teams where he ranked fourth on the team with 12 special teams stops.
Hickey was also instrumental in the scouting and drafting of LB Barrett Ruud in 2005 and K Martin Gramatica in 1999. Ruud has established himself as a cornerstone of the Buccaneers defense while playing at a Pro Bowl level the past two seasons (2007-08) and leading the team in tackles both years. Gramatica, a Pro Bowl selection in 2000, ranks as the Buccaneers all-time leading scorer and his 137 field goals is tops in team history.
Prior to his promotion to director of college scouting, Hickey spent seven seasons as a college scout for Tampa Bay scouting the midwestern states for the team. Hickey was a member of the Buccaneers first Super Bowl championship in 2002, a 48-21 victory against Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Before assuming his role as a scout for Tampa Bay, Hickey spent the 1996-97 seasons as a pro personnel assistant in Tampa Bay’s scouting department. Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Hickey spent two years (1994-95) as an assistant coach at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas. At Blinn, he coached the defensive backs and was responsible for recruiting in the state of Texas.
Hickey played collegiately at Coffeyville Community College and was a three-year starter and captain at the University of Tulsa, where he was also named an academic All-American. He received his bachelor’s degree from Tulsa in 1994.
He and his wife, Stephanie, have one daughter, Breanna, and one son, Barrett. They live in Tampa.
