my story

I’m Eddie Ficklin Jr. — junior because I was named after my father. But my family calls me “Little Ed,” and the rest of the world calls me “Coach Ed.”

I’m the only son of my mother and father and the middle brother of six sisters. I’m an ever-evolving teacher, fundamentalist football coach, and enthusiastic motivator. I love drawing, working out, listening to R&B music, watching sports, trying new things, and spending time with family and friends.

But my passion is football. And that started when I was very young. My father, who didn’t live with me, introduced me to sports through tee-ball at Fred Robinson Park. I remember like it was yesterday — the first time getting a glove and heading out to the baseball field. I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing. I just knew I was athletic. And I did well! I ended up playing five years of little league baseball and seven years of baseball after that, receiving many accolades along the way.

Once I had a better handle on school, my dad introduced me to the sport he has coached for the longest — football. As expected, I quit four times, explaining to my dad that I had no idea what I was doing. But when I got to 8th grade, I gave tackle football another try. It was rough. My positions were wide receiver and defensive end. I preferred defensive end because I was so much faster than the linemen. So I would run around them and make tackles.