In just his third NFL season, Hakeem Nicks accomplished what many NFL players go their entire careers without achieving: winning a Super Bowl. The 6-foot-1, 208-lb. wide receiver for the New York Giants was a key cog during their march to the world championship this past season, providing the team’s deep threat in a standout receiving corps. In this Q&A, Nicks discusses how his faith keeps him motivated on the field, who he admired as a child and more.
Q: Can you talk about how your faith plays a role in your life?
A: Faith plays a big role in my life. I think it’s gotten me to where I am today. I have faith in Christ and believe in the things to get me to where I’m at. Having faith comes from believing, and if you believe you can do it, then all you have to do is believe you can do it.
Q: Was there ever a moment when you thought that you weren’t going to be a professional athlete?
A: I never really think about that. I just focus on day by day as the day comes. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to anybody.
Q: Have you overcome a lot of odds to get to the NFL?
A: I have. It’s a blessing. That’s where my faith kicks in.
Q: Which other athletes inspired you as a kid?
A: As a kid, athletes in the NFL inspired me. I looked up to a lot of athletes whether it was basketball, Michael Jordan; football, I liked Randy Moss a lot.
Q: Who do you think practices the hardest on your team?
A: I think we are all good at different things. I think we’re all capable of making plays. We all bring something to the game and something to the table. We all practice hard.
Q: Can you recall the Hail Mary pass you caught against Green Bay in the playoffs this past season, and how did that particular play unfold?
A: It was actually my first Hail Mary catch of my career. It was just six seconds left on the clock; (Ahmad Bradshaw) made a good run to get us in a position to do it. He got out of bounds and we had six seconds left. We always practice on Saturdays but we never actually throw it, we just work on landmarks. Once I was running down the field, I saw how open it was. Then I saw the ball in the air. It was nothing but me, the ball and my head, so I just jumped up to go get it.
By Khalil Garriott
