Tom Nickoloff, who led USC in receiving in 1952 and 1953 and captained the 1953 Trojan football team, died on Oct. 23 in Woodland Hills, Calif., of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 84.
After earning All-City honors at Los Angeles High, Nickoloff was a 3-year (1951-53) letterman end for the Trojans. He caught 25 passes with 3 touchdowns as a junior in 1952 and was a member of USC’s squad that went 10-1 and defeated Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl that season. All of his scoring catches in 1952 came in the Stanford game. He had 7 receptions for 73 yards in the Rose Bowl victory.