Tee Higgins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tee Higgins

Higgins with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020
No. 5 – Cincinnati Bengals
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1999-01-18) January 18, 1999 (age 26) Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Oak Ridge (Oak Ridge, Tennessee)
College:	Clemson (2017–2019)
NFL Draft:	2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33
Career history
Cincinnati Bengals (2020–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
CFP national champion (2018) First-team All-ACC (2019) Second-team All-ACC (2018)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024
Receptions: 330 Receiving yards: 4,595 Receiving touchdowns: 34

Tamaurice William "Tee" Higgins (born January 18, 1999) is an American professional football player. He is a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for Clemson University. While at Clemson, he helped his team win the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship. The Bengals chose him in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Early Life and High School Sports

Tee Higgins grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He went to Oak Ridge High School. In his senior year of high school, he caught 68 passes for 1,044 yards. He also scored 18 touchdowns.

Tee was considered a top football recruit. He first planned to play college football at the University of Tennessee. Later, he decided to go to Clemson University instead. Besides football, Higgins was also a talented basketball player in high school. Many colleges offered him scholarships to play college basketball.

College Football Career

Tee Higgins started his college football journey at Clemson in 2017. As a freshman, he played in 13 games. He caught 17 passes for 345 yards and scored two touchdowns.

In 2018, during his second year, Higgins became a starting player. He played a big role in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship. In that game, Clemson beat Alabama 44–16. Higgins caught three passes for 81 yards in the championship win. He finished that season with 59 catches for 936 yards and 12 touchdowns.

For his junior season in 2019, Higgins continued to shine. He gained 1,167 receiving yards and scored 13 touchdowns. His team had an amazing 14–1 record. They made it to the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship again. However, Clemson lost this game to LSU 42–25. In that championship game, Higgins had a 36-yard rushing touchdown. He also caught three passes for 52 yards. After this season, Higgins decided to enter the 2020 NFL draft. He chose to skip his final year of college eligibility.

Professional NFL Career

Tee Higgins was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2020 NFL draft. He was the 33rd player chosen overall. This happened in the second round of the draft. On July 28, 2020, Higgins signed his first professional contract. It was a four-year deal worth $8.6 million.

2020 Season: Rookie Year

Higgins played his first NFL game in Week 1 of the 2020 season. This was against the Los Angeles Chargers. In Week 2, he caught his first three passes for 35 yards. This game was against the Cleveland Browns. In Week 3, against the Philadelphia Eagles, Higgins scored his first two professional touchdowns. He had five catches for 40 yards in that game, which ended in a 23–23 tie.

Later in the season, Higgins had some big games. In Week 6, he caught six passes for 125 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 10, he had seven catches for 115 yards and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Higgins finished his first NFL season with 67 catches for 908 yards. He also scored six touchdowns. His 67 catches tied a Bengals rookie record. This record was set by Cris Collinsworth in 1981. However, the record was broken the next year by Ja'Marr Chase. Higgins's 908 receiving yards ranked him third among all rookie receivers in 2020.

2021 Season: Super Bowl Run

Higgins playing for the Bengals in 2021

Higgins continued to improve in the 2021 season. In Week 12, he had six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. The Bengals won that game 41–10. The next game, he caught nine passes for 138 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers.

In Week 16, Higgins had an amazing game against the Baltimore Ravens. He caught 12 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. The Bengals won 41–21. Higgins ended the 2021 regular season with 74 catches for 1,091 yards. He also scored six touchdowns in 14 games.

The Bengals made it to the playoffs. In the Divisional Round, Higgins had seven catches for 96 yards. The Bengals beat the Tennessee Titans 19–16. In the AFC Championship Game, Higgins caught six passes for 103 yards. He led the Bengals in receiving yards as they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 27–24 in overtime. This win sent them to Super Bowl LVI.

In Super Bowl LVI, Higgins scored the Bengals' first touchdown. It was a 6-yard pass from Joe Mixon. On the very first play of the second half, Higgins scored another touchdown. This one was a 75-yard pass! He finished the Super Bowl with four catches for 100 yards. This was the most receiving yards by any player in the game. However, the Bengals lost to the Los Angeles Rams 23–20.

2022 Season: Overcoming Challenges

In Week 1 of the 2022 season, Higgins left the game with a concussion. In Week 4, he had seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins. He continued to have strong performances. In Week 11, he caught nine passes for 148 yards against the Steelers. In Week 12, he had seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown against the Titans.

A notable event happened in Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills. After Higgins made a catch, he was tackled by Bills player Damar Hamlin. Hamlin stood up but then collapsed. It was later found that the hit caused a serious heart condition called commotio cordis. Medical teams quickly helped Hamlin on the field. The game was stopped and later canceled.

Higgins was very upset by what happened. He stayed in touch with Hamlin and his family as Hamlin recovered. They exchanged prayers and supported each other. After the incident, many donations were made to a charity that Higgins supported, showing support for Hamlin. Damar Hamlin made a full recovery and returned to play for the Bills in 2023.

Higgins finished the 2022 season with 74 catches for 1,029 yards. He also scored seven touchdowns. In the AFC Championship, he had six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. However, the Bengals lost to the Chiefs 23–20.

2023 Season: Number Change and Injuries

In September 2021, Higgins announced he wanted to change his jersey number. He wanted to switch from No. 85 back to No. 5, which he wore in college. He said he didn't want to be called "Ochocinco 2.0" (a reference to former Bengals star Chad Johnson). Higgins wanted to be "Tee Higgins 1.0" and make his own name. The number change officially happened in 2023.

In Week 2 against the Ravens, Higgins scored two touchdowns. He had eight catches for 89 yards in the 27–24 loss. During Week 4, he got a rib injury against the Titans. This made him miss that game and the next one. He had his first 100-yard game of the season in Week 9 against the Bills. He caught eight passes for 110 yards.

On November 8, 2023, Higgins hurt his hamstring during practice. This injury caused him to miss the next three games. He returned to play in Week 13. In Week 17, he re-injured his hamstring against the Kansas City Chiefs. This meant he missed the final game of the season. Higgins finished the 2023 season with fewer yards and catches than previous years. He had 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns.

2024 Season

On February 26, 2024, the Bengals used the "franchise tag" on Higgins. This meant they could keep him for another year. On June 17, 2024, Higgins signed a one-year contract with the Bengals. He missed the first two games of the season due to a hamstring injury. He made his season debut in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders. In Week 5, Higgins scored two touchdowns and had 83 yards on nine catches. This was in a game the Bengals lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

NFL Career Statistics

Tee Higgins has had a successful career so far. Here are some of his overall statistics:

• Receptions: 330
• Receiving Yards: 4,595
• Receiving Touchdowns: 34

He has shown great skill and has been a key player for the Cincinnati Bengals.