Topic: Sam Aiken

Samuel Aiken (born December 14, 1980 in Clinton, North Carolina) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina.

Aiken attended James Kenan High School in Warsaw, North Carolina where he was an All-Conference honoree in football, basketball, and track and field. In track and field, he placed second at the North Carolina State Meet on the high jump.

After graduating from high school, Aiken attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He appeared in all 11 games at wide receiver as a freshman in 1999, earning co-Most Outstanding Freshman honors with defensive end Julius Peppers. He recorded three catches for 16 yards, returned 13 kickoffs for a 21.2 average, and 12 punts for a 1.9 yard average. As a sophomore in 2000, Aiken again played in all 11 games and ranked third on the team with 29 receptions for 410 yards and three touchdowns. In 2001, Aiken led his team with 46 catches for 789 yards and eight touchdowns, second best in school history. He also played on all special teams units. As a senior in 2002, Aiken had 68 catches for 990 yards, both school records, as well as four touchdowns.