Despite those lofty credentials, Hicks never lived up to expectations on the terrible nomadic Giants teams that went 15-41 while playing in three different stadiums (Yale Bowl, Shea Stadium, Giants Stadium) in his four seasons. He did earn NFC Rookie of the Year honors from UPI in 1974 but by the time the team moved to New Jersey, Hicks and coach John McVay had a falling out and he lost his starting job. His fate as a Giant was sealed in December 1977 when he got into a barroom brawl in Manhattan with Giants defensive end Jack Gregory after a 27-7 home victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.