Johnnie Lee Higgins life and biography

Johnnie Lee Higgins is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League.

PRO:
Exciting playmaker emerged as dangerous receiver and return specialist last season…Has played in 32 games with five starts…Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance at Denver in Week 12 of the 2008 season…Named to 2008 Sports Illustrated All-Pro Team.

2008: Had a breakout season…Played in all 16 games with three starts at WR…Led the team with seven touchdowns…Excelled as a punt returner after handling
both punt and kickoff return duties early in the season…Set a Raiders franchise record with three punt returns for touchdowns…Became first Raider to return punts for touchdowns in back-to-back games, bringing back punts at Miami (11/16) and at Denver (11/23)…Led the NFL with 570 punt return yards…Fourth in the NFL with an average of 13.0 yards per punt return…Also ranked third on the team with 22 receptions for 366 yards…Scored a team-high four receiving touchdowns…Led Raiders with an average of 16.6 yards per catch…Returned 36 kickoffs for 842 yards…Averaged 23.4 yards per kick return, with a long of 69 yards…Also had three rushes for 34 yards…(9/8) vs. DEN: Returned six kickoffs for 154 yards (25.7 avg.)…Had a 54-yard kickoff return in the first quarter…Also returned two punts for three yards…(9/14) @ KC: Returned six punts for 46 yards…Returned a pair of kickoffs for 75 yards, including a 42-yard return…(9/21) @ BUF: Caught first career touchdown on an 84-yard pass from QB JaMarcus Russell…Had three kickoff returns for 98 yards, including a career-high 69-yard return…Also returned three punts for 36 yards…(9/28) vs. SD: Had six kickoff returns for 129 yards…Returned three punts for 33 yards…Had four receptions for 35 yards…(10/12) @ NO: Returned four kickoffs for 73 yards…Fielded one punt and returned it for 35 yards…Also added one reception for 35 yards…(10/19) vs. NYJ: Returned three punts for 33 yards…Had a career-long rush of 18 yards on a reverse…(10/26) @ BAL: Returned six kickoffs for 109 yards…Returned three punts for five yards…Added two catches for 16 yards…(11/2) vs. ATL: Fielded four kickoffs and accumulated 107 return yards…(11/9) vs. CAR: Returned four kickoffs for 72 yards…Added seven punt returns for 17 yards…(11/16) @ MIA: Returned a fourth quarter punt 93 yards for a touchdown, marking the second-longest punt return in Raiders history…Totaled 113 yards on four punt returns (23.8 avg.)…Also returned a kickoff for 25 yards…(11/23) @ DEN: Returned a punt for a touchdown for the second straight game, returning a second quarter punt 89 yards for his third touchdown of the season…The punt return was the third longest in Raiders history…Also ran the ball once for a 9-yard gain…Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week…(11/30) vs. KC: Made first start of the season at WR…Ran the ball once for seven yards…Had two fair catches on punts…(12/4) @ SD: Started at WR…Had two catches for 22 yards…Returned three punts for three yards…(12/14) vs. NE: Had three receptions for 66 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter…Returned one punt for nine yards…(12/21) vs. HOU: Started at WR…Had three receptions for 56 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter…Returned two punts for 80 yards, including an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown…Became the first Raider to return three punts for touchdowns in a single season…(12/28) @ TB: Started at WR…Had a career-high six receptions for 52 yards…Scored his seventh touchdown on a 12-yard scoring strike from Russell in the fourth quarter…Also returned four punts for 67 yards.

2007: Played in 16 games with two starts…Finished the season with six receptions for 47 yards…Also returned 20 punts for 103 yards…(9/9) vs. DET: Saw time at WR and PR and returned two punts...(9/16) @ DEN: Saw time at WR and PR, returning one punt for six yards…(9/23) vs. CLE: Saw time at WR and PR…Returned
two punts for one yard…(9/30) @ MIA: Saw time at WR and PR, returning two punts for nine yards…(10/14) @ SD: Saw time at WR…Caught two passes for 14 yards, including his first career NFL reception in the first quarter…(10/21) vs. KC: Started at WR…(10/28) @ TEN: Saw time at WR and PR and returned one punt for nine yards…(11/4) vs. HOU: Saw time at WR and PR…Had one carry for eight yards…Returned one punt for three yards…(11/11) vs. CHI: Saw time at WR and PR…Returned three punts for two yards…Made one special teams tackle…(11/18) @ MIN: Saw time at WR…(11/25) @ KC: Saw time at WR…(12/2) vs. DEN: Saw time at WR and on special teams…Made one special teams tackle…(12/9) @ GB: Saw time at WR…Had one reception for five yards…(12/16) vs. IND: Saw time at WR and PR and returned two punts for 12 yards...(12/23) @ JAX: Saw time at WR, PR and on special teams...Caught two passes for 21 yards…Had one carry…Returned two punts for two yards…Made one special teams tackle…(12/30) vs. SD: Caught one pass for seven yards…Returned four punts for 59 yards…His 54-yard punt return set up WR Jerry Porter’s 32-yard touchdown reception…Raiders third round selection (99th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE:
Concluded UTEP career among the leaders in these categories: career all-purpose yards (4,745 – second), single season all-purpose yards (1,468 in 2005 – seventh; 1,873 in 2006 – third), career receptions (190 – second), career receiving yards (3,218 – first), career touchdown receptions (32 – first), career 100-plus receiving yard games (11 – third), career points scored (210 – fourth), career punt return average (15.0 – second), career reception average (16.9 – seventh), career kickoff return yards (1,033 – seventh), single season receptions (82 in 2006 – first), single season touchdown receptions (13 in 2006 – first), single season average yards per reception (20.6 in 2005 – second)…Average of 23.4 yards per punt return in 2006 set a Conference USA single-season record and ranked second in school annals...Caught 13 passes vs. Texas Tech in 2006, the second-best game total in UTEP history...Gained a career-high 223 yards receiving vs. New Mexico State in 2006, the fifth-best game performance in Miners history…Semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, presented to the nation’s top wide receiver...Two-time Conference USA Player of the Week during the season...Lined up at flanker, starting 11 of 12 games...Ranked second in the nation with 109.9 yards receiving per game and finished third in the nation with an average of 156.1 all-purpose yards...Tied for eighth in the nation with 6.8 catches per game...Set school single season record with 82 receptions and 13 touchdowns, good for 1,319 yards (16.1)...Had 12 punt returns for 281 yards and two touchdowns...Added 275 yards on 18 kickoff returns (15.3)...Scored 90 points and recorded one tackle...Amassed a career-high 1,873 all-purpose yards, the third-best season total in school history...Earned All-Conference USA second team honors as a junior…Led the team with 49 receptions for 837 yards (17.1) and nine touchdowns...His nine scoring grabs ranked seventh on the school’s single-season record list...As a sophomore, he was named second team All-Western Athletic Conference...Ranked second on the team with 34 receptions for 700 yards (20.6, the second-best season average in school history) and 10 touchdowns (tied for fourth on the school’s single-season record list)...Ranked seventh in the WAC with an average of 58.3 yards per game receiving…Appeared as a redshirt freshman in 13 games as a reserve flanker and finished third on the team with 25 receptions for 362 yards (14.5)...Also rushed eight times for 32 yards (4.0) and a score while recording one solo tackle…Communications major.

PERSONAL:
First team all-state pick by the Associated Press as a senior at Sweeny (Texas) High School…Named Team Offensive Most Valuable Player after collecting 48 catches for 918 yards and 10 touchdowns...Also rushed 16 times for 113 yards (7.1) with three scores...Had a 38-yard interception for a TD and added a 75-yard kickoff return for another score...Overall, reached the end zone 15 times as a senior...On defense, tallied 55 tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery...Junior stats included 24 catches for 448 yards and eight touchdowns...Played wide receiver, cornerback and quarterback in both his junior and senior seasons...Saw time at cornerback and running back as a sophomore…Team Most Valuable Player on the basketball team, as well as a first team all-district and second team All-Brazoria County player...Competed in the high jump and triple jump...Honor roll student.

Read more