Hakeem Nicks

At 36 years old, Hakeem Nicks has this physical status:

College career

Nicks played all 11 games in which he participated, but he was unable to attend one game due to ankle sprain. Nicks coached the team and set school single-season records for receptions and receiving yards by a freshman. He came in third in receiving yards per game and eighth in receptions per game.

Nicks made a big comeback in his sophomore season, with 74 catches for 958 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His single-season receiving yards were the third most in school history. Nicks finished second in the ACC with 79.8 receiving yards per game and third with 6.17 catches per game. In 22 of 23 games played, has made at least one catch and scored at least two passes in each game his sophomore season.

Nicks was selected as a wide receiver for the First Team All-ACC pick. Nicks set 14 school records at UNC, including career receptions (181), career receiving yards (2,580), and career touchdowns (21). Nicks had 68 catches for school records of 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final season. The 68 receptions were ranked as the third most popular in a season of school history. With 94.0 receiving yards per game, Nicks led the ACC and ranked 12th nationally. In 35 of 36 games, Nicks has scored at least one pass in 26 straight games and had a catch. He set the UNC single-season receiving record and became North Carolina's first 1,000-yard receiver.

Nicks played in the 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl, where he passed for eight touchdowns in a game against West Virginia, with three of them going for touchdowns of 73, 66, and 25 yards. One of his other catches in the game was selected for the "Greatest Catch of the Year" award.

Nicks was found guilty of academic misconduct during the 2008 school year, four years after he had left North Carolina. His record-breaking season will remain in the media spotlight, but the school has announced the addition of an asterisk to his name. During his time in North Carolina, Nicks was discovered to have obtained some jewelry and funds.

** school record books were confiscated from school computer books for the first time.

Hakeem Nicks - Career Statistics, North Carolina Tar Heels, 2009 - Hakeem Nicks

Professional career

Nicks compared him to Hines Ward and Anquan Boldin, who is considered to be one of the best wide receivers in the 2009 NFL Draft. Butch Davis, Nicks' coach at North Carolina, went even further, comparing him to Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. In the first round, the New York Giants, who were trying to substitute wide-out Plaxico Burress, selected Nicks, ranking 29th overall. Nicks was the fifth wide receiver in the draft and one of six was selected in the first round alone, and he was the fifth wide receiver overall.

Nicks was contracted for five years, $12.54 million, on August 1, 2009. The agreement includes a $6.5 million signing bonus. Nicks vied for a starting position with the Giants' other wide receivers, most notable Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith, while Hakeem Nicks had the highest overall average of all these wide receivers at 16.0 percent.

On September 13, 2009, Nicks made his first NFL appearance against the Washington Redskins, where he made a wide receiver screen pass for 11 yards. Nicks held his first touchdown reception against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 4, 2009, on a 54-yard screen pass. Nicks will score in four consecutive games in the next four weeks, becoming the first Giants rookie to score touchdowns in four straight games since Bob Gaiters, who scored in five straight games in 1961. Odell Beckham Jr. broke the record, although Odell Beckham Jr. did not break it. Nicks was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for his efforts. Since an injury to Domenik Hixon in Week 2 and outperforming Mario Manningham as of Week 14, the Nicks ended the season on the right track opposite Steve Smith in Week 2.

Nicks played his first three-touchdown game against the Carolina Panthers in a winning bid at the start of the 2010 season. During week five, Nicks exploited the NFL's 29th ranked secondary and, more specifically, Texans rookie cornerback Kareem Jackson as he reeled in career highs with 12 catches (tying a franchise record) for 130 yards. In addition, Nicks made two touchdown passes on the day from quarterback Eli Manning. Nicks was inactive for the final game of the season in Washington due to a fractured toe in his left foot. He had 1,052 yards on 79 attempts and ranked fourth in the NFL with 11 touchdowns.

Nicks opened the 2011 season with seven receptions for 122 yards in a loss to Washington that was followed by ten receptions for a career-best 162 yards and a touchdown against Arizona in the Giants' third-straight victory. Nicks was one of the few bright spots in the Giants' subsequent 2-5 loss, averaging 73 yards per game and four touchdowns. In Game 13 at Dallas, Nicks had a career-best 163 yards on ten receptions for a pivotal 37-34 victory. Nicks had his second straight 1,000+ yards receiving season in 2011-2012. He passed for 1,192 yards (15.7 percent catch average) and seven touchdowns, allowing the Giants to advance to the playoffs at 9-7.

Nicks had the most consistent receiving statistics in franchise history during the Giants' historically excellent 2011 postseason. Nicks had six receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the 24–2 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card Round. Nicks finished with seven catches for 165 yards and two more touchdowns, including a 37-yard Hail Mary reception at the end of the first half this week. In Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots Nicks, he led the game against San Francisco, throwing ten receptions for 109 yards. Nicks' 2011 postseason records stand unchanged, with 28 receptions for 444 yards (also most all-purpose yards) and 4 touchdowns (also tied for most total touchdowns with Joe Morris and Brandon Jacobs). He also holds the most Yds/Rec records with 15.86, the most 100+ yard receiving games with 3, and Amani Toomer is the only Giant with 2+ TD scores.

Nicks did not record a touchdown reception in the 2013 season, but he finished with 896 receiving yards in 15 games for the Giants, despite being unable to post a touchdown pass. There was rumors that the New York Giants were going to trade him before the trade deadline on October 29. No contract was reached as the deadline approached, and Nicks remained a Giant until his deal came to an end, making him a free agent.

Nicks signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts worth a maximum of $5.5 million on March 14, 2014. Nicks had three receptions for 46 yards against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17, giving him over 5,000 receiving yards for his career. He had 38 receptions, 408 yards, and four touchdowns on the season.

Nicks signed a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans on April 24, 2015.

Nicks was signed by the Titans on September 5, 2015.

Nicks signed a one-year contract with the Giants on November 17, 2015.

On July 27, 2016, Nicks agreed to a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints. Nicks were waived by the Saints on August 8, 2016.

In June 2019, Nicks participated in a tryout for the XFL.

Source

Awards and accomplishments

• 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
• Honorary Sound Board Laugh by ESPN Radio (Dan Le Batard)