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Hakeem, the Giants Dream? PDF Print E-mail
Written by Andrew Rosario   
Sunday, 10 May 2009

 

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Flanked by head coach Tom Coughlin (l.) and general manager Jerry Reese, first round pick Hakeem Nicks shows off his No. 18 Giants jersey at rookie mini-camp. PHOTO BY BILL MENZEL

East Rutherford, NJ – The toughest part of rookie mini-camp for New York Giants first round draft pick Hakeem Nicks was not the practices. It wasn’t trying to learn the new plays from a play book the size of a New Jersey telephone book. The toughest part was trying to find a pair of gloves that fit him.

“The first pair they gave me was too small,” he said prior to the second day of practice. Nicks hands were measured at the football combine at an absurdly large 10.5 inches (thumb to pinky). The couple of pairs they gave him were 4 XLs and still didn’t fit. Finally they found a pair for the North Carolina wide receiver.

There were plenty of questions when the Tar Heels star decided to forgo his senior year and entered the NFL draft. He was projected to go early in the second round because of receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey, Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin coming out as well. The three were picked before him in the first round. There was also talk from scouts and general managers who thought he didn’t have adequate speed and had problems separating from cornerbacks. Nicks caught the attention of the football nation in his very last game against West Virginia in the Meineke Car Care Bowl with his behind the back catch and run. In the 31-30 loss, he set a school record with three touchdowns and 217 yards. Now, Hicks wondered if he had made a mistake as he heard the first 28 college players drafted. And he still wasn’t one of them.

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Using his big hands, Nicks hauled in some tough passes and made some great grabs in both days of practice. PHOTO BY BILL MENZEL
Leading up to the draft, with the Plaxico Burress fiasco behind them, Giants general manager Jerry Reese was constantly asked if the team would make a deal that would bring either Braylon Edwards of Anquan Boldin to the team. Knowing how much the team would like to add a veteran receiver, both Cleveland and Arizona thought the Giants could be taken of advantage of and give up much more than they wanted to. Reese stuck to his guns and when it was their turn to pick, Hicks was still available. Said Reese on his picking Hicks: “We got a very good player. We like him a lot. He is big, strong kid.”

In the three years at UNC, Hicks re-wrote the school record book setting 14 records including 1,222 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. The Giants are hoping that Hicks will command the type of coverage that will allow the current group of receivers that include Steve Smith, Sinorice Moss, Domenik Hixon and Mario Manningham to thrive.

Gloves aside, Hicks has lasting memories from his years at North Carolina. The native from Charlotte looked back growing up with two older brothers and two older sisters. Although neither of his brothers played football, there were plenty of backyard basketball games. “It was a great experience,” he said. “I love Carolina.”

Hicks hears the whispers from doubters and is ready to prove them wrong. “I feel the best aspect of my game is my run after the catch. I like catching with my hands.”

The loss of Burress just may give him an opportunity to be Eli Manning’s favorite target. Manning reached out to Hicks to welcome him to the team. “He called me the day after the draft. He’s a great quarterback.”

Nicks has some big shoes to fill. Although soft spoken, his confidence level is apparent. When asked if he’s ready to go across the middle for a catch, he said without blinking: “I don’t have any problem going across the middle.”

What will he do when he does go across the middle with a linebacker or safety poised to knock him back to North Carolina? “I’ll catch the ball,” he said without hesitation. 

 


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