Tee Higgins was the first player taken in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday night, and one of the things ESPN chose to highlight about the former Clemson star was his mother’s troubled past. While many were outraged over the network’s decision to call attention to it, Higgins says he does not mind.
After Higgins was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals, a graphic shown on TV noted that his mother Camillia “fought drug addiction for 16 years.” Many saw that as a personal detail about Higgins’ life that did not need to be shared with the world, but the receiver later tweeted that he has no problem with it and is proud of his mother’s journey.
I’m proud of my mom for turning her life around for me and my sister! I have no problem with them showing the world that my mom is a true fighter https://t.co/11xKrf4wlV
— Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) April 26, 2020
Based on his reaction, it is probably safe to assume Higgins openly shared that information with ESPN prior to the draft. It would be a different story if the network was looking to uncover sensitive information about him, but he clearly considers his mother’s struggles with drug addiction an important part of his background and is not ashamed of it.
As for the pick, the Bengals may have gotten a steal. Higgins is one of the best wide receivers in the country, and we saw him make some incredible plays at Clemson. He and AJ Green should be a great WR tandem for rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.
