Johnnie Lee Higgins is the cousin of former University of Texas and current San Diego Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer. Johnnie Lee attended Sweeny High School in Sweeny, Texas where he was a three-sport athlete as a member of the football, basketball, and track teams. He was an all-district and all-county basketball player. On the football team he saw action at cornerback and running back as a sophomore. He played quarterback, receiver, and cornerback his junior and senior seasons. As a junior he caught 24 passes for 448 yards and 8 touchdowns, helping his team to a district championship. As a senior, Johnnie Lee caught 48 passes for 918 yards and 10 touchdowns. He rushed 16 times for 113 yards and 3 more scores. He also scored on an interception return and a kickoff return. On defense he totaled 55 tackles, 3 interceptions, and a fumble recovery as he led Sweeny to a second consecutive district championship. He was named the team’s offensive MVP at the conclusion of the season. He was also named first team all-district, all-county, and all-state. He received district offensive MVP honors as well. Johnnie Lee accepted a scholarship to UTEP where he sat out the 2002 season as a redshirt. He saw action in all 13 games the following season, catching 25 passes for 362 yards on the year. He also rushed 5 times for 32 yards and his first career touchdown. As a sophomore, Johnnie Lee finished second on the team in receiving with 34 receptions for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished second in school history with a 20.6 yard per catch average and fourth in school history with 10 touchdowns. He was named second team all-WAC at the conclusion of the season. He went on to lead the team in receiving as a junior with 49 receptions for 837 yards and 9 touchdowns. He averaged 22.4 yards per kickoff return on 20 attempts and 9.4 yards per punt return on 18 attempts. He was named second team all-Conference USA as a receiver and return specialist. Johnnie Lee led the team in receiving for the second consecutive season as a senior, setting career highs in receptions (82), receiving yards (1,319), and touchdown receptions (13). He was named first team all-Conference USA at the conclusion of his senior season.

Johnnie Lee Higgins has a great deal of experience, having started at receiver for UTEP since his freshman season. He is a thinly-built receiver with outstanding speed. He adjusts to the ball well while it’s in the air and he has reliable hands. He does a good job of catching the ball with his hands rather than “body catching”. Once he has the ball in his hands, Higgins is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. His speed allows him to get deep on just about any defender who lines up against him and he can turn a short pass into a big gain with his open field running ability. He is a fearless receiver who will go over the middle and make a difficult catch in traffic. He is tough and will play through minor injuries. He has improved his route running the past couple seasons but he will need to continue to show improvement in the future. His lack of ideal size and strength could cause problems for him when he matches up against bigger, stronger defensive backs. He would benefit from bulking up some and increasing his strength. His ability to contribute as a return specialist will only add to his draft day value. Johnnie Lee Higgins will probably never develop into a #1 receiver in the NFL, however, he become a great slot receiver and he should be able to contribute early on as a return specialist. He should be a mid-round pick in the 2007 NFL draft.