A Dream Come True: Tee Higgins Elated to join Bengals Franchise

Former Clemson Wide Receiver ready to work with A.J. Green, Joe Burrow

Former Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins had to sit through opening night of the 2020 NFL Draft anticipating the big phone call, but he did not have to wait awfully long Friday night.

The Cincinnati Bengals, who selected Heisman trophy winner and national champion quarterback Joe Burrow first overall, added another lethal weapon to its offense and potential top target in the passing game selecting Higgins 33 overall with the first pick of the second round.

Bengals Head coach Zac Taylor is thrilled to have Tee Higgins join Joe Burrow in Cincinnati and spoke of both player’s championship level of play at the college level.

“That’s been the standard for him—playing for championships. That is why Tee went to Clemson. When I went down to their Pro Day, I got the time to meet with Dabo Swinney for about an hour and talk specifically about Tee. (Dabo) just raved about him and the energy that he will bring to the receiver room. He’s the same guy every day and certainly a weapon we can add to our arsenal,” Taylor said.

In his first media interview after becoming a Bengal, Higgins was all smiles realizing he now plays for his favorite team in the league.

“Just to get a call from my favorite team in the NFL is surreal. It is crazy to call myself a Cincinnati Bengal,” he said.

Higgins said joining Burrow on his favorite team feels like a dream and he is excited to get to work with him and terrorize opposing defenses across the league.

“Joe Burrow is a guy with great character. He tore it up in college and I know he’ll tear it up in the league so I’m really looking forward to building that chemistry with him.”

Higgins is a big fan of former Georgia receiver and now his Bengal teammate, A.J. Green. He said he models his game after the seven-time Pro Bowler. Higgins became a fan of the Bengals when they drafted the Summerville, South Carolina native fourth overall in the 2011 NFL draft.

“Now that this moment is here it all seems so surreal. I wanted my name called in the first round but with my mentality I just knew whenever I get the call, I know the team is going to get a hard worker and a guy who will go out there and dominate,” Higgins said.

Taylor reiterated that taking Higgins at 33 overall was a no-brainer and that he looks forward to adding more weapons as the draft continues.

“At the end of the day we felt there was a guy there that can make us better. We knew going in there was a good chance we would add a receiver, we just didn’t know where. It just so happens that a guy we really like was there at pick 33. We know he can come in and help us and that we could not pass up the opportunity," he said. 

Taylor says Higgins excellent hands, great catch radius, overall consistency and in-game mentality helped separate the former Clemson star from other potential options that were still available at the time of the pick.

“He’s going to put up points and there are just a lot of great traits we liked about Tee,” he said.