While at Colonie High School, Erick was All-Metroland quarterback, but in 1986 suffered a devastating injury in an automobile accident. 

Despite suffering from quadriplegia, he persevered in sports to become a tennis champion. In 1995, he won the U.S. Tennis Association National Indoor Doubles Wheelchair Championship and in the following year, he won the same championship while adding the singles championship.

In 1996, he also won the U.S. Open quad singles championship. Mr. Emerick has operated a freelance desktop publishing company in his home.