If an opportunity arises, it is logical to take it with both hands. DeAndre Hopkins understands this. The athlete gave up his senior year of outstanding college football to compete in the 2013 NFL draft. Since his selection in practice, he has played as a wide receiver for the Houston Texans in the NFL.
Hopkins, who played several sports during his high school and college years, has gone down in the history books of the Houston franchise, and we feel he has much more to give.
DeAndre Hopkins Bio
Hopkins was born on June 6, 1992, as DeAndre Rashaun Hopkins in Central, Pickens County, South Carolina. At D. W. Daniel High School, Andre was active on the school’s soccer, basketball and athletics teams. He excelled in all sports, and by the time he left he had scored 18 touchdowns and 57 receptions over 1,266 yards in offense and 28 interceptions and 5 touchdowns in defense.
During his high school football career, Hopkins had 57 receptions over 1,266 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense and 28 interceptions and 5 touchdowns on defense. He also scored 1,453 career points for his Hoops efforts and was named Player of the Year by Independent-Mail in his final year.
In DeAndre Hopkins’ 2010 rookie season at Clemson University, he scored 52 receptions, 637 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Each of these numbers continued to rise in his second and second junior season, with 18 touchdowns in the latter, the best ever scored by a Clemson University player. For his contribution, he was nominated for the First Team All-Conference.
In January 2013, Andre decided to skip his last year of college education to apply for the draft. During the exercise he was highly rated and in the first round (27th place overall) he was drafted by the Houston Texans.
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In July 2013, South Carolina-born Andre signed the dotted lines of a $7.62 million four-year contract.
Despite many of his performances being marred by the inefficiency of starting quarterback Matt Shaub, Hopkins ended his rookie season with 52 receptions for 802 receptions and was appointed to the NFL All-Rookie Team.
By working under a new coach for the 2014 season, Hopkins had an improved season. He played several games with 100 or more receiving yards and finished the campaign with 76 team-high receptions for 1,240 yards and 6 touchdowns. He started all 16 games of the regular season.
In 2015, after the departure of veteran player Andre Johnson, Hopkins became the undisputed wide receiver starter for the Texans. By the end of the 2016 season, the Wide Receiver had added its name to the ranks of icons such as Antonio Brown and Julio Jones. With 111 receptions, 1,521 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns, the latter of which represented the highest number of touchdowns of any player in the team’s history, he also recorded the best statistics of his career.
Based on his performances, he was called into his first Pro Bowl and also entered the second Team All-Pro, finishing 19th in the 2016 NFL Top 100 Players of the Year.
By his own standards, 2016 was not a good season, as he recorded the lowest scores in his professional career to date. This was partly due to the shortcomings of quarterback Brock Osweiler.
In August 2017 DeAndre Hopkins signed a new five-year contract worth $81 million. He increased his game from the previous season and was rewarded with his second Pro Bowl and debut First-Team All-Pro honors for leading his team in touchdowns and points.
DeAndre Hopkins’ Family – Parents and Siblings
The nuclear family tree of the footballer is interwoven with dark stories. He was born the son of Sabrina Greenlee and Harris Steve Hopkins, a career drug dealer who died when DeAndre was just five months old.
He and his mother had been in the car with Harris, the car ran into an obstacle, overturned, and crashed into a guardrail. He died a week later due to the severity of his injuries. Harris was out on bail at the time of his death, leaving only Sabrina behind to raise Hopkins and his siblings, Sabrina had to take several jobs to get the end result.
In 2002, Hopkins’ mother suffered severe burns to more than 17 percent of her body when she was doused with a booking mixture of bleach and lye by a lady she caught her boyfriend with. She was in a coma for three weeks and had to undergo skin transplants to save her face. As a result of this tragic experience, she was only 60 percent visible in her left eye and completely blind in her right.
The woman who had attacked her was later sentenced to 20 years in prison for assault with intent to kill.
DeAndre Hopkins has two older siblings, Kesha and Marcus, who actually come from a previous relationship with his mother. His younger sister is Shanterria Cobb, who also attended D. W. Daniel High School, where she was an outstanding basketball athlete.
His sister Kesha works as a basketball coach and slot receiver for the Houston Wildcats in the Independent Women’s Football League.
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Everything you must know about DeAndre Hopkins
1. DeAndre’s major at Clemson University was Community Leisure and Sports & Camp Management
2. Hopkins has an older cousin, Jacks Austin, who also played football for Clemson. During his time with Clemson, he tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide, being blind in his right eye and deficient in his left. This ended his football career.
3. DeAndre is known as the “Nuk”, a nickname inspired by a brand of soothers. His second nickname “Ralph” was given to him by his high school friends because they felt he wore a lot of polo.
4. The soccer player may have played soccer and basketball, but his second favorite sport is actually soccer.
5. The wide receiver is undoubtedly talented. But many analysts and publications believe that part of his success is due to his massive hands. DeAndre has used his hands, which extend over a width of 10 centimeters, in spectacular ways to catch one-handed receptions.
6. Hopkins’ uncle, Terry Smith, was shot dead by police in 1997 after stabbing his estranged wife to death and then refusing to obey the officers. He also played soccer at Clemson.
7. The South Carolina boy often organizes a “back-to-school” giveaway that provides school supplies to about 2,500 children. The campaign is called the “SMOOTH Campaign”. This means “speaking out spiritually to open up opportunities for healing”.