2002 Football Roster
Sam Aiken
- Position:
- Wide Receiver
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 205
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Kenansville, N.C.
- High School:
- James Kenan
One of the best wide receivers in Carolina’s history • Team captain as a senior • Set school records in receptions and receiving yards as a senior • Blossomed into one of UNC’s most consistent threats in 2001, catching more passes in his junior season (46) than he had in the two previous years combined (32) • Has the ability to go across the middle, make the difficult catch and take a hit • Is also a dangerous deep threat • One of only two UNC receivers ever to have three receptions over 70 yards • Earned “Super Ram” status in the weight room and is a member of the strength and conditioning honor roll.
2002 • Senior Season
Led the team with 68 catches for 990 yards, both single-season school records • Also had four touchdowns • Had eight catches for 88 yards against Duke, including a crucial 10-yard reception on 4th-and-4 with 10 seconds remaining • That catch set up Dan Orner’s game-winning field goal • Had two catches for 17 yards against Florida State • Made eight catches for 58 yards against Clemson and became the school’s single-season record holder for receptions in a season with his 56th catch • Set a career-high with 10 receptions against Maryland for 102 yards • It was his third 100-yard game of the season, one shy of the single-season school record of four held by Octavus Barnes in 1995 • Ranks first in the ACC and 30th in the country in receiving yards per game (82.5) • Ranks first in the ACC and 26th in the country with 5.67 catches per game • Is 28th in the nation in total receiving yards • Is just the fifth player in school history with more than 2,000 career yards receiving • Finished the Wake Forest game with four receptions for 43 yards • Led the Tar Heels against Virginia with seven catches for a career-high 179 yards, and two touchdowns • Caught a slant pass from Darian Durant and raced 77 yards for a touchdown against Virginia • It was the longest catch of his career and the ninth-longest pass play in UNC history • Snagged five passes against NC State for 70 yards • Surpassed 100 catches for his career with five catches for 70 yards against Arizona State • Caught three balls for 35 yards against Georgia Tech • Had three receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown against Texas • Made five catches for 91 yards in a 30-22 victory over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome • Had one kickoff return for 18 yards • Had his best game as a Tar Heel in Carolina’s 27-21 loss to Miami (Ohio) with career highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (174) • His 174 yards receiving is the fourth-highest single-game total in UNC history • Exploded in the second half against the RedHawks with six catches for 147 yards and one touchdown • Scored his first touchdown of the season on a 37-yard pass from C.J. Stephens.
2001 • Junior Season
Led the team with 46 catches for 789 yards (17.2 avg.) and had eight touchdowns • His eight TD catches were the second-most ever by a Tar Heel (tying three others) and were the most since Marcus Wall had a school-record nine in 1994 • Ranked third in the ACC in touchdown catches and was fifth in the ACC in receiving yards per game (65.8 avg.) • Had 12 catches over 20 yards, including three over 65 yards • Led the team in all-purpose yards with 974 (789 on receptions, 79 on punt returns, 105 on kickoff returns) • Had at least one catch in every game and made at least four receptions in seven games • Had seven catches for 73 yards in the Peach Bowl victory over Auburn • Had a 41-yard catch-and-run against Auburn that set up a UNC field goal • In the final three regular-season games of the year against Wake Forest, Duke and SMU, he caught 16 balls for 315 yards and three touchdowns • Set a career high in receiving yards and receptions against Duke with 156 yards on seven grabs • His 156 yards were the 10th most in a single game in UNC history • Caught five passes for 108 yards against Wake Forest, including a career-long 75-yard touchdown pass against the Deacons • Had a 72-yard touchdown catch the following week against Duke • Caught a 66-yard TD pass from Ronald Curry against Virginia • Was on the receiving end of two Darian Durant touchdown passes against Georgia Tech • Had a spectacular 20-yard touchdown reception from Durant to give UNC a 7-0 lead against FSU when he leaped over a Seminole tackler and hit the pylon with the nose of the football while suspended in air • Scored on a 21-yard pass from Durant against ECU, and recovered a Pirate onside kick that sealed Carolina’s 24-21 victory • Played on nearly every special teams, including punt, punt coverage, kickoff and kickoff coverage • Played more snaps than any other receiver on the team.
2000 • Sophomore Season
Played in all 11 games at wide receiver and also was the Tar Heels’ top kickoff return man • Was third on the team with 29 receptions for 410 yards (14.1 average) • Was second on the team with three touchdown catches • Returned 18 kickoffs for 365 yards, an average of 20.3 yards, and two punts for 20 yards • Caught at least three passes in six of 11 games, including five catches against Florida State (77 yards) and Virginia (31 yards) • Had a 57-yard reception vs. Clemson, which set up a 6-yard Ronald Curry touchdown run one play later • Had eight catches of at least 22 yards, including three catches over 40 yards • Had a 46-yard touchdown reception vs. Wake Forest and a 43-yard TD catch vs. Florida State • Caught four passes for 48 yards vs. Marshall • Made four receptions the following week for 24 yards vs. Georgia Tech • Made at least one reception in all but one game, the matchup with Pittsburgh.
1999 • Freshman Season
Named UNC’s Co-Most Outstanding Freshman along with defensive end Julius Peppers • One of four true freshmen to play • Appeared in all 11 games at wide receiver and returning kicks • Caught three passes for 16 yards, returned 13 kickoffs an average of 21.2 yards and 12 punts an average of 1.9 yards • His first college catch was a 6-yarder at Clemson • Also had 5-yard receptions against Houston and Maryland • Longest kickoff return was a 34-yarder against Wake Forest • Also had a 33-yard return at Maryland • Had a 14-yard punt return versus Duke.
James Kenan High School
Two-time all-conference recipient in football, basketball and track and field • Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Shrine Bowl • Caught six passes for 136 yards and a touchdown in the Shrine Bowl • Led James Kenan High School in Warsaw, N.C., to an 11-2 record and the third round of the state 1-A playoffs in 1998 • As a senior, scored 20 touchdowns – 17 by reception and three on special teams • Caught passes for more than 900 yards • Also intercepted 11 passes • Rushed for 785 yards and had 500 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior • Earned all-conference honors in basketball and track • Played QB as a sophomore and halfback as a junior when he rushed for 800 yards • Placed second in the state in the high jump • Coached by Kim Brown.
Personal
Born Samuel Aiken on Dec. 14, 1980 in Clinton, N.C. • Nicknamed “Sleeper” • Favorite NFL team as a kid was the San Francisco 49ers • Greatest moment of his athletic career was scoring a touchdown against Florida State (2001) • Best word that describes him is “quiet” • Majoring in exercise and sports science.
Aiken in the UNC Record Book
Single-Season
Receptions 68, 2002 (1st)
Receiving Yards 990, 2002 (1st)
100-Yard Games 3, 2002 (2nd)
Career
Receptions 146 (4th)
Receiving Yards 2,205 (3rd)
Year | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | LP | KR-Yds | Avg | PR-Yds | Avg |
1999 | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 0 | 6 | 13-275 | 21.2 | 12-23 | 1.9 |
2000 | 29 | 410 | 14.1 | 3 | 57 | 18-365 | 20.3 | 2-20 | 10.0 |
2001 | 46 | 789 | 17.2 | 8 | 75 | 5-105 | 21.0 | 9-79 | 8.8 |
2002 | 68 | 990 | 14.6 | 4 | 77 | 1-18 | 18.0 | 2-5 | 2.5 |
Totals | 146 | 2205 | 15.1 | 15 | 77 | 37-763 | 20.6 | 25-127 | 5.1 |
