Dwight Hicks, the 49ers, and Drugs

I'd like to preface the following by noting that Dwight Hicks has contacted me about the blog entry that's the basis for this article. You can find his statement on the situation described below at the bottom of the article. The statement clarifies the circumstances that led to him leaving the 49ers, including both the salary dispute and the drug reports. Hicks strongly contests the reports that I used as the basis for my summary of his situation, and you should refer to his statement before reaching conclusions about the situation.

This is the third of three articles on 49er players of the 1980s and their controversial off-field activities. The first two featured Eason Ramson and Bruce Collie. All three have been adapted from my blog on 49ers history.

The story of drug use by 49er players of the ‘80s isn’t simply one of addiction and recovery.

Dwight Hicks, leader of the "Dwight Hicks and the Hot Licks" secondary that spurred the 49ers to two Super Bowl wins, was released by the 'Niners in June of 1986. He had been named to four Pro Bowls.

49er management offered him a three-year deal for about $1 million, and when Hicks rejected it they released him rather than making a trade to get something in return for him.

Bill Walsh said: “The negotiations were at an absolute impasse. After all the dialogue that had gone on, we honestly did not think that Dwight would be happy with the 49ers, feeling at some point that we did not treat him fairly.”

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Hicks was looking for $500,000 per year. Dave Perrine, his agent, said: “This may be the second stage of a policy that we’re going to teach these vets a lesson. They got rid of [Renaldo] Nehemiah [a sprinter-turned wide receiver who sporadically caught passes for the 49ers from 1982 to 1985], and that hasn’t brought people into camp. Maybe they think this will. That could be part of their strategy.”

Walsh claimed: “It didn’t take much to total the whole thing. The attitude Dwight took in agreeing [to a contract] was that he would not concede he had any form of drug problem. The only reason he would go through rehabilitation was to satisfy our concern—to get the issue out of the way so we’d stop harping on it.”

After his release, Hicks acknowledged his using cocaine starting in 1981 and continuing up until June 1986. The 49ers asked him to get treatment, and he said: “I did not think (my drug use) was a concern of theirs.”

In October 1986, Hicks, who still didn’t have a job, said the 49ers probably had blacklisted him. He said: “What else can I think. DBs are going down left and right (but) I can’t get a job.”

At that time, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that “as a condition of signing his contract, the 49ers demanded Hicks take a drug test and agree to rehabilitation. He said he didn’t need rehabilitation, but he told the 49ers he would submit to it to pacify them. Three hours later, the team called back and said he had been released. He was shocked.”

Hicks said: “They must have used the drug testing as a negotiating ploy. I mean, if they want to commit me to a rehabilitation place, show some concern. I agree and they release me in three hours. If I really was an addict, they really showed a lot of concern, wouldn’t you say?”

Hicks wound up signing with the Colts soon after giving the interview about being released, played for them the rest of 1986, then left the NFL.

It's important to note that, as he said in 1986, Hicks did not become an addict. After his football career ended, he went into acting, and has appeared in a wide range of prominent movies and TV shows. In fact, you can take a look at his MySpace page for samples of his work, and also read his messages about the NFL and the 49ers.

One post after Walsh died said, "Farewell Bill Walsh. We Love You. You will be missed but not forgotten!" The message indicates that Hicks has forgiven Walsh and the 49ers.

Now, here is Hicks’ statement on why he left the 49ers:

“I was promised a new contract by Bill Walsh after the 49ers won the Superbowl in 1981, on the condition that I made the Pro Bowl in 1982.  Well, I made the Pro Bowl in 1982 and Bill Walsh did not honor his agreement with me.  My agent then started communication with the team on my behalf about this agreement.  There had been dialogue on many occasions during the off season and during the summer camp prior to the 1983 season, asking Bill Walsh to honor his agreement which he did not.

“The 1983 season commenced and there was more communication about the agreement between Bill Walsh and I with no resolve.  So, in week seven I decided I would sit out a week of practice prior to the first game with the Rams.  Ray Rhodes was sent to my house everyday, by Bill Walsh, to convince me to come to practice but there was no resolve regarding our agreement.  Well, I didn’t go back to practice and I did not travel to Los Angeles to play the game that week.  Did you know that our secondary only allowed about three touchdowns passes in our first six games in 1983?  The next game I sat out.  Vince Ferragamo threw five touchdowns and close to if not more than 400yds passing.  I proved that I was missed but it was costly, and that was the beginning of the end of my pro football career.

“You see, no one in the history of the NFL had sat out of a game to protest a contract dispute after the season had started and the NFL was going to make sure that no one else did.  The drug use was just a label put on me and to ease me out of the NFL.  As far as the money that the newspaper said the 49ers offered me,  I never heard of such an offer.”