Note: The following appears in the Stanford football gameday program.
The last name “Mickens” has been no stranger to the game of football over the past few decades. Even before Tiger safety R.J. Mickens introduced himself to the spotlight, his father, Ray Mickens, was a star defensive back not only at Texas A&M, but also during his 10-year career in the NFL with the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.
The Tiger fifth-year senior was born in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Mickens spent some time living in New York during his childhood while his father played for the Jets before eventually settling down in Southlake, Texas, where he retains most of his memories as a youth.
“When my dad played for the Jets, I would live in New York during the season. In the offseason, we would go back to Dallas. I started going to school in Southlake in first grade. My dad played, so I was set on playing football my whole life. I also played baseball and was a goalkeeper in soccer.”
A multi-sport athlete growing up, Mickens’ No. 1 passion was always football. He credited his father for not only introducing him to the sport, but for also being his most significant role model and coach.
“Having my dad as a mentor was everything. I was around seven when he retired, so I still have memories from some of his last games with the Patriots. He’s always brought football in my life, and I am thankful for that. He taught me how to work hard and earn it. He’s been taking me through workouts ever since.”
While Mickens expressed a significant love and respect for his parents and their accomplishments, he did not shy away from emphasizing the pressures he faced growing up with a father in the NFL, so much so that he decided to change his jersey number in high school.
“I felt a lot of pressure, honestly, wanting to be like him. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, so I put that pressure on myself. It helped me and made me who I am today. I always heard ‘Ray Mickens’ son,’ but I wanted to be my own person, so I changed my number. He was #24 and I was #24 my whole life until I made that change. I changed to #10, my personal favorite.”
It was during Mickens’ time living in Southlake that he decided to attend the well-known and well-respected Carroll High school. While there, he was coached by Riley Dodge, a previous state champion and Gatorade Player-of-the-Year. Mickens credited his current position and much of his success to his…