Tee Higgins

BIOGRAPHY

Tamaurice William “Tee” Higgins, born on January 18, 1999, is an accomplished American professional football player who currently holds the position of wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL).

Higgins completed his high school education at Oak Ridge High School in Tennessee. His remarkable performance as a senior made him stand out with 68 receptions, 1,044 yards, and 18 touchdowns. Recognized as a five-star recruit, Higgins initially committed to the University of Tennessee but later changed his preference to Clemson University. Notably, he was also an excellent basketball player in high school and received scholarship offers from numerous colleges.

Higgins started his collegiate career in 2017 at Clemson University where he played in 13 games and made 17 receptions for 345 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman. He began his sophomore season in 2018 as a starter and had a significant contribution in Clemson’s victory at the College Football Playoff National Championship. As a junior, his 1,167 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns helped the team to finish with a 14–1 record and progress to the National Championship. However, they lost to LSU.

In the 2020 NFL draft, Higgins made a commendable entry into professional football. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round with the 33rd overall pick and signed a four-year contract worth $8.6 million. In the same year, Higgins made his NFL debut against the Los Angeles Chargers and recorded his first three professional receptions for 35 yards against the Cleveland Browns. He finished his rookie season with 67 receptions for 908 yards and six receiving touchdowns, tying a Bengals rookie record set by Cris Collinsworth in 1981.

In 2021, Higgins completed the season with a more substantial 74 receptions for 1,091 yards and six receiving touchdowns in 14 games, an improvement over his rookie season. His commendable performance led the Bengals to victories against Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round and the AFC Championship, respectively. Despite their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVI, Higgins recorded four passes for 100 yards, the most receiving yards by a player in the game.

Higgins’ 2022 season was flooded with remarkable milestones as he finished with 74 receptions for 1,029 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. He made a significant contribution to the Bengals’ 37-30 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording nine receptions for 148 yards. He also had a notable performance in a subsequent match against the Titans with seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.

During a tension-filled game against the Buffalo Bills, an accident that caused serious injury to Damar Hamlin occurred. Higgins, emotionally affected by his unintentional involvement, extended his support to Hamlin and his family throughout the recovery period. Higgins’ charitable work received accelerated support after the incident until Hamlin’s recovery and return to the Bills for the 2023 season.

In 2021, Higgins announced a jersey number change from No.85 (his current number) to No.5, his old college number. Although he couldn’t effect the change until 2023, he was motivated to build his unique reputation, apart from the comparisons to previous Bengals receiver Chad Johnson.

His performance in the 2023 season included eight receptions for 110 yards against the Bills and a two-touchdown game against the Ravens. However, Higgins was sidelined for several games due to a rib injury and a hamstring injury which he re-aggravated towards the end of the season. Despite this, he ended the 2023 season with 656 yards on 42 receptions and five touchdowns.

In 2024, the Bengals placed the franchise tag on Higgins and he re-signed with them on a one-year contract, marking his unwavering commitment to his professional career in the NFL as a wide receiver playing for Cincinnati Bengals. This move demonstrated the Bengals’ recognition of Higgins’ exemplary skills and performances, hinting at another exciting season to look forward to in his professional football career.