Two North Carolina Tar Heels Return to Pros

The current batch of North Carolina Tar Heels are playing for stakes higher than any North Carolina Tar Heels team has played for in quite some time if ever. However their precursors do not seem ready to give up the news scene yet.

Two Tar Heels from the Butch Davis era made news this week as they tried to continue NFL careers. The New York Giants brought back Hakeem Nicks after they had lost Victor Cruz for the season. Nicks spent most of his career with New York (including a Super Bowl ring), spending last year with the Indianapolis Colts. He failed to make a roster coming out of training camp until the Giants called him back.

In Nicks the Giants are hoping for serviceable wide receiver play opposite the young stud Odell Beckham. His experience with Eli Manning should be a plus.

The guy who threw him passes at Chapel Hill returned to action as a pro for his old team as well.

Quarterback T.J. Yates had been resigned by the Houston Texans when they cut Ryan Mallett. Yates was suddenly thrust into action when Brian Hoyer got hurt. As luck would have it, Yates was facing the Cincinnati Bengals.

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The undefeated Bengals may not seem like an ideal opponent for Yates in his first action back, but you have to remember the history of Yates and the Bengals. Yates won the first playoff game for the Texans against many of these same Bengals. Sure he has a new number now and his deep threat is DeAndre Hopkins and not Andre Johnson, but it turns out he still has a fondness for the Bengals.

With Yates at the helm, the Texans made an attempt to attack down the field. This was something they had not really done to the chagrin of Hopkins. In the defensive struggle, Yates just had to protect the ball to earn the win.

Yates will also be the starter for the Texans next game against the New York Jets despite the team claiming Brandon Weeden off of waivers.

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