Hakeem Nicks facts for kids
Nicks with the Indianapolis Colts in 2014
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | January 14, 1988 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 208 lb (94 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Independence (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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| College: | North Carolina (2006–2008) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 29 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Hakeem Amir Nicks (born January 14, 1988) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Hakeem played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels. The New York Giants picked him in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. Nicks also played for the Indianapolis Colts.
Contents
Hakeem Nicks: Early Life
Hakeem Nicks was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He went to Independence High School (Charlotte, North Carolina). While playing football there, he was one of the top 10 players in North Carolina. This was according to SuperPrep and Rivals.com.
He was also named the Charlotte Observer Offensive Player of the Year. He was chosen for the North Carolina Associated Press All-State team. Hakeem never lost a game in high school. In his senior year, he was the MVP of the 4-AA state championship game. He caught eight passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in that game. For his senior year, he had 93 catches for 1,819 yards and 20 touchdowns.
College Football Star
During his first year, Nicks started 11 games. He missed one game because of an ankle injury. He had a great game against Notre Dame on November 4. He caught six passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the 2006 season with 39 catches for 660 yards and four touchdowns. Nicks led his team and set new school records for a freshman. He was third in the ACC for receiving yards per game.
On September 15, 2007, Nicks caught seven passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns against Virginia. On October 13, he had eight catches for 114 yards against South Carolina. Later, on November 17, he caught seven passes for 162 yards and one touchdown against Georgia Tech. In the 2007 season, Nicks had 74 catches for 958 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His yards were the third most in school history for a single season.
Nicks started the 2008 season with six catches for 110 yards against McNeese State. He scored two receiving touchdowns in the next game against Rutgers. On September 27, he had five catches for 133 yards and a touchdown against Miami (FL). On October 11, he caught nine passes for 141 yards against Notre Dame. Two weeks later, he had eight catches for 139 yards and three touchdowns. He also scored a rushing touchdown against Boston College.
Nicks was named a First-team All-ACC wide receiver. By the end of his junior year, Nicks set 14 school records at UNC. These included career catches (181), career receiving yards (2,580), and career touchdowns (21). In his last season, Nicks had 68 catches for school records of 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led the ACC and was 12th nationally in receiving yards per game. He became North Carolina's first receiver to gain over 1,000 yards in a season.
Nicks finished his college career in the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl. He caught eight passes for a bowl record of 217 yards. Three of these were touchdowns, including catches of 73, 66, and 25 yards. This was in a game against West Virginia. One of his catches in that game was even considered for "Greatest Catch of the Year."
College Stats
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | Rushing | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 2006 | North Carolina | 11 | 39 | 660 | 16.9 | 83 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 |
| 2007 | North Carolina | 12 | 74 | 958 | 12.9 | 53 | 5 | 1 | −1 | −1.0 | −1 | 0 |
| 2008 | North Carolina** | 13 | 68 | 1,222* | 18.0 | 74 | 12* | 5 | 34 | 6.8 | 12 | 1 |
| Career | 181* | 2,840* | 15.9 | 83 | 21* | 36 | 7 | 43 | 8.6 | 12 | 1 | |
* school record ** vacated from school record books
Playing in the NFL
Getting Ready for the NFL
Hakeem Nicks was seen as one of the best wide receivers for the 2009 NFL draft. Some experts compared him to famous players like Hines Ward and Anquan Boldin. His college coach, Butch Davis, even compared him to Hall of Famer Michael Irvin.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Wonderlic | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+3⁄4 in (1.85 m) |
212 lb (96 kg) |
33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) |
10+1⁄2 in (0.27 m) |
4.63 s | 1.70 s | 2.74 s | 4.43 s | 6.96 s | 36.0 in (0.91 m) |
11 | ||
| 20-ss and 3-cone from UNC Pro Day, all others from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
New York Giants: First Time Around
The New York Giants needed a new wide receiver. They chose Nicks as the 29th player overall in the draft. He was the fifth wide receiver picked in that draft.
On August 1, 2009, Nicks signed a five-year contract. It was worth $12.54 million. This deal included a $6.5 million signing bonus. During training camp, Nicks worked to earn a starting spot. He competed with other Giants receivers like Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith. Hakeem Nicks had the best average among them.
Nicks made his first NFL catch on September 13, 2009. It was an 11-yard screen pass against the Washington Redskins. On October 4, 2009, he scored his first touchdown. It was a 54-yard screen pass against the Kansas City Chiefs. For the next four games, Nicks scored a touchdown in each. He was the first Giants rookie to do this since Bob Gaiters in 1961. However, Odell Beckham Jr. later broke this record. Because of this achievement, Nicks was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month. He finished his first season with 47 catches for 790 yards and six touchdowns. He had two games where he gained over 100 yards.
At the start of the 2010 season, Nicks had his first game with three touchdowns. This was against the Carolina Panthers. He caught four passes for 75 yards in that winning game. In Week 5, Nicks had a career-high 12 catches for 130 yards against Houston. He also caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Eli Manning. In Week 7, he had nine catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. Nicks missed the last game of the season due to a broken toe. For the year, he had 1,052 yards on 79 catches. He was fourth in the NFL with 11 receiving touchdowns.
Nicks started his third season in 2011 with seven catches for 122 yards. Three weeks later, he had a career-best 162 yards and a touchdown against Arizona. In Week 13, he scored two touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers. In Week 14, he had another career-best with 163 yards on ten catches against Dallas. In the 2011 season, Nicks had his second straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He caught 76 passes for 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns. This helped the Giants reach the playoffs.
In the Giants' amazing 2011 postseason, Nicks had incredible receiving stats. In the Wild Card Round against the Atlanta Falcons, he had six catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns. The next week, against the top-seeded Green Bay Packers, Nicks caught seven passes for 165 yards and two more touchdowns. This included a 37-yard "Hail Mary" catch. After gaining 55 yards in the NFC Championship win, Nicks was the top receiver in Super Bowl XLVI. He had 10 catches for 109 yards. This helped the New York Giants win 21–17 against the New England Patriots.
As of 2017, Nicks' 2011 postseason numbers are still franchise records. He had 28 catches for 444 yards and four receiving touchdowns. He also holds postseason records for yards per catch (15.86) and yards per game (111). He had three games with over 100 receiving yards.
In Week 2 of the 2012 season, Nicks had ten catches for 199 yards and one touchdown. This was in a 41–34 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the 2012 season, Nicks had 53 catches for 692 yards and three touchdowns.
In the 2013 season opener, Nicks had five catches for 114 yards against the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 5, he had nine catches for 142 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. In Week 14, he had five catches for 135 yards against the San Diego Chargers. In the 2013 season, Nicks did not score a touchdown. However, he still finished with 896 receiving yards in 15 games. His contract ended after this season, making him a free agent.
Time with the Indianapolis Colts
On March 14, 2014, Nicks signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. It was worth up to $5.5 million. In the Colts' Week 17 game, Nicks reached 5,000 receiving yards in his career. He finished the season with 38 catches, 408 yards, and four touchdowns.
Nicks scored a touchdown in the Colts' 24–13 win over the Denver Broncos. This was during the playoffs.
Short Stint with the Tennessee Titans
On April 24, 2015, Nicks signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. However, the Titans released Nicks on September 5, 2015.
Back with the New York Giants
On November 17, 2015, Nicks returned to the Giants. He signed another one-year deal. In six games, he caught seven passes for 54 yards.
With the New Orleans Saints
Nicks signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints on July 27, 2016. The Saints released Nicks on August 8, 2016.
Trying Out for the XFL
Nicks tried out for the XFL in June 2019.
Hakeem Nicks' NFL Stats
Regular Season Games
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2009 | NYG | 14 | 6 | 47 | 790 | 16.8 | 68T | 6 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2010 | NYG | 13 | 12 | 79 | 1,052 | 13.3 | 46T | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | NYG | 15 | 15 | 76 | 1,192 | 15.7 | 68 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | NYG | 13 | 11 | 53 | 692 | 13.1 | 50 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | NYG | 15 | 15 | 56 | 896 | 16.0 | 57 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | IND | 16 | 6 | 38 | 405 | 10.7 | 29 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | NYG | 6 | 2 | 7 | 54 | 7.7 | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 92 | 67 | 356 | 5,081 | 14.3 | 68 | 31 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
Playoff Games
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | NYG | 4 | 4 | 28 | 444 | 15.9 | 72T | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | IND | 3 | 0 | 6 | 98 | 16.3 | 45 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 4 | 34 | 542 | 15.9 | 72 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Awards and Achievements
- Super Bowl Champion (XLVI)
- NFC Champion (2011)
- NFL Alumni Wide Receiver of the Year (2011)
- Ranked #90 in the Top 100 Players of 2012
- NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month (October 2009)
- Most career receptions in UNC history (181) * Ryan Switzer Broke this
- Most career TD receptions in UNC history (21)
- Most single-season TD receptions in UNC history (12)
- 2007 First-team All-ACC by Rivals.com
- 2007 Second-team All-ACC by The Associated Press
- 2008 First-team All-ACC by ACSMA/AP
Hakeem Nicks' Life Off the Field
Hakeem Nicks is the son of Rob Nicks Jr. and Lisa Mason. He has two brothers, Anwar and Aleef. He also has a daughter named Harmony.
On August 24, 2022, Nicks sold his Super Bowl XLVI ring at an auction. On August 28, 2022, the ring sold for $117,000. Hakeem plans to donate some of that money to charity.
See also
In Spanish: Hakeem Nicks para niños
