Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2016
The all-time sack leader in Troy history, Charles Pickett checked in at just 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds heading into his senior season in 1976 where he was an All-American defensive tackle.
βI never played with a guy that had his kind of size and was as tough as he was,β his teammate and Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Perry Griggs said. βHe was pretty light to be playing that position, but his quickness and his strength showed up on every play β thatβs how he got to be how he was.β
A three-time NAIA All-District selection, Pickett earned honorable mention All-America honors following his junior season in 1975 after he recorded 106 tackles and 19 sacks. He followed with another 19-sack season his senior year and helped lead the Trojans to an 8-1-1 overall record and a Gulf South Conference Championship with a 7-1 league mark.
Despite playing an interior defensive line position at just 213 pounds, Pickett routinely had the upper hand on his opponents both physically and mentally.
βI guess some of the opposing offensive linemen felt like this little lightweight guy would be easy,β Griggs said. βBut he was one tough guy and knew how to play the position. He went out there and played every down like it was his last. Iβve never seen a guy that tough on a football field. He played like he was 275 pounds and he made play after play.β
Never one to draw extra attention to himself on the field, Pickett led the Trojans in tackles his sophomore and senior seasons and his 334 career tackles still stand the test of time as they rank as the eighth most in school history.
βHe wasnβt a rah-rah guy that would jump up and celebrate when he made a tackle, he would just come back to the huddle,β Griggs said. βHe was very quiet, but he would let his play do the talking on the field.
βHe was a no-nonsense guy,β Griggs said. βHe would go out on the field and do what he had to do and never complained. He was very personable, but when he was on the field it was all work. You knew that when he was in the game something was going to happen.β
Pickettβs two 19-sack seasons are tied for second most in a single-season in Troy history, while his school-record 43 career sacks are 12 more than the next closest Trojan on the list.
βHe was always mentally prepared for every game and every opponent, but his footwork and the way he used his hands to get around people was amazing,β Griggs said. βHe was able to push people around with his quickness and that is what really worked for him. He could play that position like nobody Iβve ever seen before.β
His football career didnβt end following his playing days at Troy as Pickett would go on to play for four years in the American Football Association where he was named the Defensive MVP in the 1979 Championship Game. His leadership at Troy followed him after football as he opened Pickett Marine Construction in 1980 and still serves as the companyβs president.
