Born in Oakland, California, Sykes graduated from St. Aloysius College (now Brother Martin High School) in New Orleans.
[2] After high school, Sykes served in the United States Army Air Forces as a private first class during World War II.
[1] Following his military service, Sykes returned to California to enroll at Santa Rosa Junior College, where he played on the football team in 1948 and 1949.
[3] Undrafted in the 1952 NFL draft, Sykes signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent.
This biographical article relating to an American football running back born in the 1920s is a stub.