Former Tar Heel shines for NY Giants in Super Bowl

INDIANAPOLIS -- The player whose Hail Mary touchdown catch helped keep the New York Giants rolling in the postseason had to watch from the sideline Sunday as New England tried its own Hail Mary - this one with the Super Bowl on the line.

And as Hakeem Nicks watched Tom Brady's wind up for his final throw, the former North Carolina star had only one thought.

"I was hoping they don't catch the ball," Nicks said.

The Patriots didn't catch it, and the Giants had their second Super Bowl win against New England in five years.

Nicks was a sophomore at UNC when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII. But he had a starring role in this title: Nicks caught a game-high 10 passes for 109 yards against a New England secondary that was doubling up against slot receiver Victor Cruz, giving Nicks and Mario Manningham 1-on-1 matchups on the perimeter.

Nicks said the Giants adjusted at halftime, and he and Manningham both came up with big catches on the game-winning drive.

Manningham caught a 38-yard pass from Eli Manning on the first play of the drive to get the Giants to midfield.

On second-and-3 from the Patriots' 11, Nicks caught a short pass and carried cornerback Devin McCourty past the first down marker for a 4-yard gain. Though Nicks went out of bounds to stop the clock with 1:09 left, he got the Giants a fresh set of downs.

That led to the Patriots letting Ahmad Bradshaw to score two plays later, rather than allowing the Giants to run the clock down and try a short field goal.

"I was just focused on getting a first down," Nicks said. "I knew once we got the first down we were going to score."

Nicks finished the postseason with four touchdowns, a Giants record. His Hail Mary touchdown late in the first half at Green Bay propelled the Giants to a win in the divisional-round game and knocked out the defending-champion Packers.

Though Nicks didn't score against the Patriots, he made a leaping, 19-yard grab in the first half that his high school coach thought was the best of the night.

"He just went and got it," said Tommy Knotts, who coached Nicks at Charlotte Independence High.

"Just like he always did in the 10th, 11th and 12th grade at Independence."

Nicks paid for Knotts and his wife, Kesha, to fly to Indianapolis, gave them tickets to the game and took care of their hotel accommodations. Then he helped give them what they really wanted to see - a Giants win.

Asked if the Giants now have the Patriots' number in the big game, Nicks smiled and said: "I guess you could say that."