Tag: Hakeem Nicks

WATCH: Reliving a few NFL Draft memories for former Tar Heels

Make sure you watch this throwback video of former UNC football stars hearing their names called in the NFL Draft.

All of Tar Heel Nation’s attention on Thursday, April 25 was turned towards the NFL Draft.

Fans wondered where Drake Maye, the record-setting quarterback who played himself into Heisman Trophy contention and was the 2022 ACC Rookie and Player of the Year, would be selected. Several mock drafts had Maye to the New England Patriots, while others had the Washington Commanders calling his name.

When the third overall pick rolled around, it was New England who chose Maye. The Patriots are hoping he can break their bad luck streak at quarterback, with no one finding sustained success under center since Tom Brady briefly retired.

Maye isn’t the only former Tar Heel to hear his name called on Draft Day in the past 25 years.

Take a look at this highlight reel the UNC football program posted to its Instagram page, as a few North Carolina legends walked the stage during their draft days.

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Julius Peppers is the greatest defensive player to come out of Chapel Hill since Lawrence Taylor, with both being amongst the top defensive players in college and NFL history.

Peppers ranks fourth in NFL history with 159.5 sacks, plus he played in 266 of 272 games – sixth-most by a defensive player. Peppers also had a penchant for terrorizing opponents in college, ranking second all-time in UNC history with 30.5 sacks.

Javonte Williams was part of a deadly rushing duo with Michael Carter, as both Tar Heels ran for 1,000 yards during the COVID-altered 2020 campaign. Williams is now starting for the Denver Broncos, totaling 2,501 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns.

Hakeem Nicks earned First Team All-ACC honors in 2008, catching 68 passes for 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns that year at North Carolina. He was a Super Bowl Champion with the New York Giants in 2012, the highlight of his 7-year NFL career that included 5,081 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns.

Mitch Trubisky hasn’t played to the standards of the 2017 NFL Draft’s second overall pick, only eclipsing 3,000 yards in a season twice (2018, 2019). He started for one season at UNC, posting 3,748 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, then has bounced around since the Chicago Bears selected him.

Josh Downs is the latest talented wide receiver to come out of Chapel Hill, with the Indianapolis Colts selecting him in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft.

Downs was a 2-time, First Team All-ACC honoree (2021, 2022), ending his Tar Heel career with 2,483 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. Downs quickly ascended up Indy’s depth chart to the number two receiver behind Michael Pittman Jr., finishing his rookie season with 771 receiving yards (seventh-most amongst rookie pass-catchers) and two touchdowns.

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Devontez Walker’s career game against Miami puts him in elite company

Devontez Walker is one of two UNC receivers to post 100 yards against a ranked opponent. The other? Hakeem Nicks, who won Super Bowl XLVI.

Some of the biggest storylines – before the UNC football season kicked off – were surrounding Devontez Walker.

After last weekend’s 41-31 victory over Miami (FL), the storylines continue to surround Walker. In just his second game donning a Tar Heel uniform, Walker caught six Drake Maye passes for a game-high 132 yards and three touchdowns.

Walker’s first touchdown, an 18-yard reception well into the opening quarter, started the scoring. His second gave Carolina a 20-17 not long into the second half, while his third extended the UNC lead to 27-17.

Not many Tar Heels have caught three touchdowns in a game, nonetheless against a ranked team. Walker’s day put him in elite company, joining 2006-2008 Tar Heel and former NFL player Hakeem Nicks.

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With all the wide receivers UNC has sent to the NFL, it’s tough to believe Walker is the first receiver since Nicks to accomplish the above feat.

If you remember Nicks’ time at Carolina, it seemed like his name was called on every passing play. He set multiple school records (14 at the time of graduation), including the single-season mark for receiving touchdowns (12), which was later tied by Dwight Jones and Dyami Brown.

Nicks went on to enjoy a solid, 7-year career with the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts, including the Super Bowl XLVI title with the Giants in Feb. 2012. His best statistical year also came during that 2011-2012 campaign – posting a 76-catch, 1,192-yard, 7-touchdown regular season, followed by a 28-catch, 444-yard, 4-touchdown postseason.

There’s no doubt Walker will hear his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft – it’s just a matter of where he lands. Performances like Saturday’s will almost surely land him in the first round, just like with Nicks in 2009.

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Giants announce legend autograph dates for training camp

The New York Giants have announced the dates for autographs from franchise legends during training camp.

The New York Giants have announced their training camp schedule, along with the dates for autographs from Giants legends.

The 2023 NFL season is about to be underway but not before all 32 teams enter training camp. For New York, training camp will be from July 26th to August 5th.

These practices will all be opened to the public with the opportunity for autographs from different positional groups each day. In addition to that, at least two legends will be joining the fans for autographs each day.

On July 26th from 8:30 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET, Super Bowl-winning wide receivers Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks will make an appearance.

On July 27th from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., members of the Super Bowl XLII-winning team, Ahmad Bradshaw and Rich Seubert, will join the fans.

On July 28th from 3:30 p.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET, Pepper Johnson, William Roberts, and David Tyree will all be signing autographs.

On July 30th from 8:30 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET, Joe Morris, Roman Oben, and R.W. McQuarters will be at camp singing autographs.

On July 31st from 8:30 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET, Sean Landeta and Rodney Hampton will be signing autographs.

On August 1st from 3:30 p.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET, Mario Manningham will return with Stephen Baker and Ottis Anderson.

On August 3rd from 8:30 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET, Jonathan Casillas and Jay Bromley will sign autographs.

On August 4th from 8:30 a.m. ET to 10 a.m. ET, Lewis Tillman and Howard Cross will sign autographs.

On August 5th from 3:30 p.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET, Ahmad Bradshaw will return with Jeff Feagles and Kareem McKenzie.

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Ex-Giant Hakeem Nicks: Brian Daboll ‘going to be around a long time’

Retired New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks believes head coach Brian Daboll is “going to be around a long time.”

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On Day 1 of organized team activities (OTAs), the New York Giants received a visit from one of their alumni — Super Bowl champion Hakeem Nicks.

Nicks was in attendance on Monday and spent some time with head coach Brian Daboll.

Daboll had a very impressive rookie season as a head coach, which many hope is a trend for years to come. Nicks made it clear that he believes Daboll is here to stay, unlike the previous few head coaches the Giants had in place.

In 2009, Daboll became the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator and oversaw some pre-draft workouts for Nicks, who was eventually selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft.

Nicks won Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants and spent the better part of his career under coach Tom Coughlin. Coughlin was the last New York head coach with an extended stay in East Rutherford.

The Giants have been searching for their next head coach ever since Coughlin’s departure and Daboll’s short time with the Giants has given fans something to be excited about.

Hopefully, Daboll can bring a sense of continuity the Giants organization has been lacking since 2015. Nicks believes he will.

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Report: Ex-Giant Hakeem Nicks selling his Super Bowl XLVI ring

Former New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks is auctioning off his Super Bowl XLVI ring with a portion of the sale going to charity.

Former New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who was among the league’s best before injuries derailed his career, is parting ways with his Super Bowl XLVI ring.

TMZ Sports reports that Nicks has put his ring up for auction through Heritage with expectations that it could fetch upwards of $80,000.

The current bid is $25,000 with three days remaining on the auction.

The ring was issued to our consignor, the Giants’ first-round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. Nicks led all receivers in Super Bowl XLVI with 109 yards on ten catches. A mine’s worth of diamonds and blue sapphires coat the face which features the team logo “NY” and four miniature Lombardi Trophies to represent the franchise tally. “New York Giants 2011 World Champions” stands in block lettering at the perimeter. Left shank reports the original owner’s surname and jersey number, another team logo and the franchise’s years of Championship glory. The list of championship seasons is completed on the right shank beneath another team logo, the Lombardi Trophy in miniature, and the final score of the game. Interior band bears the text, “All In” and “Finish,” as well as “T&C AU .585” stamping, indicating fourteen karat gold construction by famed jeweler Tiffany & Co.

The massive size fifteen (15) ring weighs ninety-five grams (95 g.) and presents with moderate wear in original (slightly damaged) wooden display case. Just the second example of this ring that Heritage has had the privilege to present. Letter of provenance from Hakeem Nicks.

It’s unclear why Nicks is auctioning off his Super Bowl ring but TMZ Sports notes that a portion of the sale will go to charity.

A first-round pick of the Giants in the 2009 NFL draft, Nicks spent eight years in the NFL with six of those coming with New York over two stints.

In 92 career games, Nicks hauled in 356 receptions for 5,081 yards and 31 touchdowns. And during that Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, he caught 10 of his 13 targets for 109 yards.

Nicks last played in 2016 for the New Orleans Saints but was training for an NFL comeback as recently as 2019. That never materialized.

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Loss of Evan Engram continues disturbing first-round Giants trend

Following the loss of Evan Engram, the New York Giants have now had 11 straight Round 1 picks fail to play on a second long-term contract.

As the league’s legal tampering period opened last week, New York Giants tight end Evan Engram was one of the more highly coveted free agents heading into the open tight end market.

Engram, of course, ended up signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a one-year deal, $9 million deal.

Engram’s departure puts the tight end in all too familiar territory for Giants first-round draft picks. Engram, like so many of the team’s recent Round 1 draft picks, will depart without getting a lucrative deal from Big Blue.

Though there are a few outliers, as Tom Rock notes, most players never even had the opportunity for a short-term contract after their rookie deal expired. Engram is the latest.

Aaron Ross, Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Phillips, Jason Pierre-Paul and Prince Amukamara all contributed to least one of the Giants’ recent Super Bowls. But, for the most part, their prime years were short-lived as the team moved on at the right time.

The sole exception is JPP, who is still playing at a high level but never got a lucrative long-term deal from the Giants before being traded.

David Wilson and Ereck Flowers were unlucky picks by the Giants as Wilson’s career ended early due to injury and Flowers was one of the biggest busts in franchise history. However, Flowers did go on to be a formidable option for other teams following his time with Big Blue.

The departures of Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Apple were the most drama-filled on the list. And while Beckham still has some love for Big Blue, Apple can’t decide which one of his former team’s fan bases he hates more.

Of course, the Giants’ next shot at breaking the streak will be Saquon Barkley. After his rookie year it seemed as though he would be a Giant for life, but after the last few years of injury-filled football, Barkley may not be a Giant much longer — many speculate that he might currently be on the trading block.

After that it will be Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence from the 2019 NFL draft class — a class where the Giants already have a failed with one of their first-round picks (Deandre Baker).

Current general manager Joe Schoen obviously hopes to buck this trend.

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Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham: We were ‘spoiled’ with Eli Manning

Three former New York Giants receivers — Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks — admit they were “spoiled” with Eli Manning.

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The grass is not always necessarily greener on the other side of the fence and it’s human nature to take things for granted. It’s not until we don’t have those things that we begin to appreciate them.

Such was the case for former New York Giants wide receivers Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham, who didn’t entirely realize what they had in quarterback Eli Manning until they went elsewhere.

Cruz, of course, spent a brief amount of time with the Chicago Bears in 2017, while Manningham called San Francisco home from 2012-2013.

In Chicago, Cruz was paired with quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and Mike Glennon. With the 49ers, Manningham caught passes off the arms of Colin Kaepernick, Alex Smith and Colt McCoy.

It wasn’t the same. And while Cruz and Manningham weren’t critical of any of those quarterbacks, it became quickly evident they were a step (or two or three) down from Eli.

“I don’t think people understand. Every Friday after practice — before we showered or any of that — we would go right into the receiver room with Eli and he’d probably have, what, 12 or 13 plays,” Cruz said during the latest episode of the All in NYG podcast.

“Plays he knew were going to work,” Manningham added. “On third down and whatever, short, long…whatever. We just knew that he always knew what they were going to be lined up in. So he always wanted to have us prepared. He [would] see things that we didn’t see as a receiving corps.”

“And you knew on that Friday to pay attention,” Cruz said, drawing agreement from Manningham. “If he’s circling you. . . Nobody made those adjustments better than Eli. Nobody saw that blitz 0 better than Eli, for real. He knew when it was coming, he knew the tendencies, he called it out, he got us to the right play every single time.”

Cruz, Manningham and fellow wide receiver Hakeem Nicks appreciated that about Eli, but it was also all they had ever known. When it came time to play with Trubisky, Kaepernick and even Smith, it was a different story.

“After a while you kind of take that for granted until you go somewhere else with a quarterback that’s not as experienced and you’re like, ‘okay. This is different,'” Cruz said.

“Yeah. Right,” Manningham agreed. “We got spoiled. We did.”

“We got spoiled early. It’s not every day you get to be around a Hall of Famer like that and a guy who’s been around that much football. So, Eli… We appreciate you, G,” Cruz said.

“Definitely,” Manningham added.

After joining the show, Nicks provided an example of what Cruz and Manningham had been discussing earlier.

Nicks recalled that during the 2011 wildcard game against Atlanta at MetLife Stadium, Manning noticed a specific coverage that looked like man but was actually zone. He alerted Nicks and told him if he sees it on a cross, to catch the ball and keep running as opposed to shifting back inside and trying to find running room.

“Eli had actually told me about . . . the streak X shallow. He said, ‘look, it’s going to be zone but it will look like man. So stay on the move.’ That was like a coaching tip right there for that specific play that Eli gave me,” Nicks said of his 72-yard touchdown.

Another moment of realization arrived for the three receivers in the 2011 NFL Championship Game. We don’t need to rehash why that is — it’s arguably Eli’s shining moment as a professional.

“I knew he was tough but it wasn’t until me seeing it in person in San Fran. . . That showed you how tough Eli was that he kept picking himself up off the ground. How many times was he in the huddle ripping the grass out of his helmet,” Cruz said.

“He had a lot of mud and grass on him that day, man. We knew we had a tough quarterback. We knew how tough Eli was,” Manningham said.

“And not one time in that huddle did he ever complain,” Nicks said.

With one final nod of respect to Eli, the three receivers praised his footwork — an often unseen focus of the NFL veteran.

“We don’t really give Eli enough credit for the little footwork things he did in the pocket to get himself throwing angles,” Cruz said. “Kids out there, pay attention to that. Go back and watch some Eli tape if you want to learn footwork.”

“Not the fastest guy in the world but he had the proper footwork,” Manningham said.

“He’ll shake you in a phonebooth,” Cruz added to the agreement of Nicks and Manningham.

The trio tossed out a few other solid Eli stories that followed the same pattern and it’s certainly worth listening to. It speaks to the level of Eli’s preparation and performance, and should only further endear him to Giants fans and the eventual Hall of Fame voting committee.

Giants stick with Hakeem Nicks in 2009 NFL re-draft

The New York Giants stuck with WR Hakeem Nicks, who helped them to a Super Bowl XLVI title, in a 2009 NFL re-draft.

Looking back to 2009, the New York Giants were one of the NFL’s more prominent teams. They were two seasons removed from their shocking Super Bowl upset of the undefeated New England Patriots and still two years away from their next takedown of Bill Belichick’s team.

2008 was a rollercoaster of a ride for the Giants. They were coming off a 12-4 season, one of their best ever, and were the NFC’s top seed in the 2008 playoffs. But the Plaxico Burress debacle killed their mojo and momentum, and they were easily bounced by the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round.

By virtue of their 12-4 record, they held the 29th overall selection in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft. They didn’t need a whole lot. They placed seven players in the 2009 Pro Bowl and quarterback Eli Manning was in the middle of his long career with the club.

They could use more firepower on offense however, and North Carolina star wideout Hakeem Nicks was the type of player they felt could give that to them. In this re-draft, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report doesn’t move Nicks up in the order and has the Giants taking him at 29.

The New York Giants might be tempted to try to bolster their roster and hope Hakeem Nicks wouldn’t be re-drafted in the final three spots here, but it wouldn’t be worth the risk. After all, the North Carolina product played a significant role when the team won the Super Bowl in 2011.

Don’t overthink this, Giants. You haven’t lost anybody from that team thus far in the exercise, and Nicks caught 10 passes for 109 yards in that Super Bowl victory over New England.

Nicks went on to have a short, but illustrious career with the Giants, reeling in 318 receptions for 4.676 yards and 27 touchdowns in his six seasons.

In the 2011 postseason, which culminated in the Giants’ 21-17 history over New England in Super Bowl XLVI, Nicks caught 28 passes for 442 yards and four touchdowns, including a “hail mary” grab against Green Bay in the Divisional Playoffs.

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Ex-Giant Hakeem Nicks gives back to North Carolina

Former New York Giants WR Hakeen Nicks recently gave back to his alma matter, North Carolina, in a big way.

Hakeem Nicks was one of the most prolific wide receivers in New York Giants history. After being selected with the 29th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Nicks teamed up with free agent Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham to create a formidable trio that helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLVI.

After an illustrious career at North Carolina, Nicks went on to catch 318 passes for 4,676 yards with 27 touchdowns. Nicks ranks ninth all-time in receiving yards and 10th in receptions on the Giants’ all-time list.

Nicks is now giving back to both the Giants and North Carolina as he reflects on his football career.

The wide receiver recently made a “sizable donation” to his alma matter to name the wide receiver meeting room in the Kenan Football Center in Chapel Hill.

“It’s always good to be able to give back if you’re in that position,” Nicks told Goheels.com. “I owe a lot to the University of North Carolina. They were the only school to offer me a scholarship. They gave me the opportunity, and that means a lot to me. They believed in me before anyone else did.

“They prepared me for life beyond Carolina, particularly going to a market like New York in the NFL. Things like having a presence, how to carry yourself, to be humble, to interact with the media. We had a seminar on dinner etiquette. There were so many things I faced that I was prepared for because of the University of North Carolina.”

Nicks’ niche on Tar Heel football is indelible as well. He currently ranks second in school history with 2,840 receiving yards with 21 touchdowns, and is third on the school’s all-time receptions list with 181.

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Eli Manning led Giants in WAR over past decade

QB Eli Manning led the New York Giants in WAR over the past decade, which is a testament to both his talent and success.

Who were the New York Giants’ most valuable players of the past decade? You could probably take a guess and come close, but the analytics website Pro Football Focus went shard and put some date behind the decision and came up with this.

First of all, what is WAR and how does it work? If you can find someone who can explain it in full, you’re a better man than I. PFF divulged their process for determining WAR as follows:

The PFF WAR model does these things, in order:

  • Determine how good a given player was during a period of time (generally a season) using PFF grades
  • Map a player’s production to a “wins” value for his team using the relative importance of each facet of play
  • Simulate a team’s expected performance with a player of interest and with an average player participating identically in his place. Take the difference in expected wins (e.g., Wins Above Average)
  • Determine the average player with a given participation profile’s wins above replacement player, assuming a team of replacement-level players is a 3-13 team
  • Add the terms in the last two calculations to get that player’s WAR.

Got it? I knew you would. The process is so complex one wonders if its even worth the effort. But considering who is on the list, the stats line up with reality.

Eli Manning was basally irreplaceable, especially when you consider the backup quarterbacks the Giants had on their roster over that period. None of them could ever be considered starting material in the NFL, although Ben McAdoo thought Geno Smith was worthy.

Who could possibly replace Odell Beckham Jr.? No one, that’s who. The Giants are finding that out the hard way right now.

Hakeem Nicks was a solid receiver but he was never considered elite. Victor Cruz was elite, but not for long. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the only defensive player on the list, played well and got himself to a Pro Bowl one year, but what does that say about the Giants’ defense in the 2010s?

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