Hicks Named Pop Warner College Football Award Finalist

BERKELEY – Elijah Hicks was named as one of six national finalists for the 12th Annual Pop Warner College Award on Wednesday. The award presented by the Pop Warner Little Scholars recognizes a senior who has made a difference on the field, in the classroom and in his community, and serves as a role model to Pop Warner's young student athletes.

The winner will be announced in January of 2022.

Below are notes on Hicks with an extended bios available by clicking on his name.
 
Elijah Hicks, S, 5-11, 200, Sr., 5th Season At Cal, Long Beach, CA (La Mirada HS/St. John Bosco HS)
— Has racked up the honors as a 2021 senior earning third-team All-American (Pro Football Focus) and first-team All-Pac-12 honors (Associated Press, Jon Wilner's College Football Hotline, Pac-12 Coaches, Pro Football Focus), as well as being a finalist for Pop Warner College Football Award, and a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, Jason Witten Collegiate Man Of The Year and Wuerffel Trophy
— Also a nominee for the 2021 Pac-12 Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, as well as a preseason third-team (Athlon) and honorable mention (Pac-12 media) All-Pac-12 selection Preseason All-Pac-12 Third Team (Athlon), a member of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Big Board and a Player To Watch (Athlon)
— Started all 12 games as a 2021 senior and led the team while co-leading the Pac-12 with a career-high four forced fumbles and 0.33 forced fumbles per game (#T11 NCAA)
— Also co-led the 2021 squad with a career-high three interceptions that are tied for third in the Pac-12, while he was second on the 2021 team with 72 tackles and added 5.5 tackles for loss (-15 yards), 1.0 sack (-8 yards) and two pass breakups, with the tackles, tackles for loss and tackle for loss yards all career highs
— Played in all 54 games possible with 46 starts over five seasons at Cal from 2017-21 and finished his career with 213 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss (-40 yards), 3.0 sacks (-15 yards), five interceptions that he returned for 66 yards and one touchdown, 14 pass breakups and six forced fumbles
— A member of the AFCA All-State Good Works Team® as a 2020 junior
— Has his own non-profit foundation Intercept Poverty
— Has volunteered on several occasions for the UC Berkeley Basic Needs Center
— Responded to the coronavirus pandemic by raising nearly $70,000 through his non-profit Intercept Poverty Foundation's COVID-19 campaign working along with No Kid Hungry to provide financial assistance to low-income families to afford to feed their children
— Now partnering with Scholarship America to award grants of $500-700 to provide emergency relief funds to deserving students at UC Berkeley for expenses such as bills, rent and food
— Graduated from Cal in December of 2020 with a bachelor's degree in American studies, picked up a graduate certificate in the school's entrepreneurship program in May of 2021 and earned another graduate certificate in business administration in December of 2021