Class of 1976

Ricky was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and baseball at Apex High School. He achieved All-Conference honors in all three sports and was named to the All Metro football team during his senior season. Ricky graduated from Apex High School in 1976 and was chosen to play in the East-West All Star game that same year.

Originally signed by Coach Lou Holtz, Ricky started his collegiate career as a tight end at N.C. State. An injury during the second game of the season caused him to red shirt that season and, in his own words, he “went into the weight room as a 195 pound tight end and came out a 265 pound right offensive tackle. He started on N.C. State’s Peach Bowl team that year, but left N.C. State after the passing of his father in order to take over the family farm. Coach Ed Emory talked him back into football and Ricky finished his career at Georgia Tech. He was shifted to the defensive line at Georgia Tech where he started and anchored a formidable defensive front for his final three seasons. Upon his graduation from Georgia Tech, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and became one of the few players in Apex history to ever play in the NFL.