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Cleveland Browns safety Ronnie Hickman was taken to a New York City hospital after four individuals assaulted him in the lobby of a hotel, his team said in a statement on Monday, February 16.
“Safety Ronnie Hickman was a victim of assault early Monday morning at a New York City hotel,” the statement read. “Ronnie was treated for minor injuries at an area hospital after the incident, was later released, and is home resting with his family.”
Police told The Athletic that they responded to a 911 call at 4:35 a.m. Monday morning regarding an argument and subsequent assault in the lobby of the Sixty Les hotel on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The victim was treated for minor injuries at Bellevue Hospital.
“Upon arrival, officers were informed that four unidentified individuals punched a 24-year-old male about the body following a verbal dispute,” authorities told ESPN. “The suspects fled the location in an unknown direction.”
Despite going undrafted in 2023, Hickman, 24, is fresh off his first full season as a starter in the NFL. Over 17 games in 2025, he had 103 tackles and two interceptions, and is expected to become a restricted free agent in the offseason.
A New Jersey native, Hickman played college football at Ohio State University where he was named All-Big Ten in 2021 and 2022.
“Going undrafted, that feeling, it’s not a feeling that you’ll ever really forget,” Hickman told Cleveland.com during the 2025 offseason. “With [safeties coach Ephraim] Banda, we talked when I first came here, whenever you feel like you’re missing something, just open up that feeling you had when you didn’t get a phone call. So I remind myself every time I step on the field. Every time I step in this building that the rent is due every day.”
He continued, “[Defensive coordinator Jim] Schwartz does a good job of implying that in all of our meetings because it’s true. You got to earn it, you got to pay your dues every day in this business.”
Schwartz, 59, resigned after the season when he was not promoted to head coach in Cleveland., The Browns replaced him at defensive coordinator with former Atlanta Falcons defensive passing game coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
Before 2025, Hickman’s playing time was more sporadic. But when he was able to get on the field, he made an impact. Teammate and fellow Ohio State alum Denzel Ward added that as a Buckeye, Hickman was always “going to come in ready.”
“Rocket, he’s been good since he came on,” Ward, 28, said. “Just coming in, learning the playbook fast, being out there making plays. I always think about his interception he had against the Jets for the playoffs and everything. But man, he’s going to be a good player for us and he’s going to be good.”
Hickman added that whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, he is prepared to help the team.
“I don’t shy away from that or anything of that nature,” he said. “But like I said, whatever my role is, if that is my role, at the end of the day, what I owe to the guys next to me is going out there with my best foot forward and giving ‘em my all.”
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