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California high school football coach asks help in retrieving stolen memorabilia

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez02/20/26lawandfern

A newly hired California high school football coach is appealing for help in recovering his stolen items. CBS News Los Angeles’ Nicole Comstock and Dean Fioresi reported that Hardy Nickerson pleaded with the public to return some of his football jerseys, awards, and autographed helmets.

Nickerson and the moving crew he hired learned about the heist when they slept through the night at a Hampton Inn in Santa Clarita. When they were about to continue their trip from Oakland to San Juan Capistrano, they discovered that the locks on the back of the truck had been cut. Nickerson and the crew took a break due to a storm.

The former NFL linebacker hopes that people will see it if the people who stole his possessions sell it online. Among his mementos is the Byron ‘Whizzer’ White Award for his efforts in community service.

Nickerson became the head football coach at JSerra Catholic last month. He will take over a California high school football program that finished with a 3-7 record last season. Before becoming the coach of the Lions, he was a CIF state champion with Bishop O’Dowd. Nickerson had two stints coaching the Dragons, with his first stint lasting three years (2010-2013). He returned to O’Dowd in 2022.

Before becoming a high school football coach, Nickerson played in the NFL for 16 seasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected him in the fifth round of the 1987 draft. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Green Bay Packers. Nickerson had the most success while with the Buccaneers, earning five Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections. These accolades earned him a spot on the league’s 1990s All-Decade Team.

Nickerson was also a California high school football standout, playing for Verbum Dei before attending the University of California, Berkeley. After his playing career, he also served as a linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Francisco 49ers, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.