[1] Erickson was an outstanding high school basketball player, where he led the E-Rabs to consecutive IHSA boys' "Sweet-16" appearances in 1945 and 1946.

[1] As a freshman during the 1946–47 season, Erickson joined the reunited group of "The Whiz Kids", Ken Menke, Gene Vance, and Andy Phillip as well as All-American guard Walt Kirk and the greatest athlete in the history of athletics at the University of Illinois, Dike Eddleman.

Erickson was familiar with Combes based on the fact that it was his Champaign High School team that had knocked Erickson's Rockford East team out of the Illinois high school basketball tournament just two seasons earlier.

Combes was a proven winner based on his astounding 254–46 record in nine seasons as a high school coach.

The team was now minus "The Whiz Kids", however it did not lack for talent, senior captain Jack Burmaster, juniors Dike Eddleman and Fred Green along with fellow sophomore Wally Osterkorn gelled as a team, winning all eight of their non-conference games.

In his junior season of 1948–49, the Fighting Illini won the Big Nine Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois would defeat Yale to earn a berth in the Final Four (only eight teams played in the tournament back then), but would lose to eventual national champion Kentucky, 76–47.

[1][3] From 1951 to 1953 Erickson was part of a group of college All-Stars that toured South America with the Globetrotters and the games were actual competitions.

Erickson also worked as personnel director for Elco Tool and Screw, and then later became the assistant vice president of American National Bank.