BOURBONNAIS — Akiem Hicks has a gifted skillset, a healthy ego, an innate drive to succeed and a great memory. So it’s no surprise that some biting commentary from Saints linebackers coach Joe Vitt in Hicks’ early years in the NFL particularly resonated with Hicks, and stuck with him.
“He said, ‘I’ve never seen a player get paid more and play better,’” said Hicks, who was a third-round draft pick by the Saints in 2012. “And I remembered that. I remember sitting in the meeting that day — my first or second year [in the NFL] — and he said that and I was like, ‘Man, that makes sense.