Sam Aiken Samuel Aiken ( born December 14 , 1980 in Clinton , North Carolina ) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent . He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft . He played college football at North Carolina . He has also played for the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns . Early years . 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 . College career . 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 . Professional career . Buffalo Bills . Aiken was drafted in the fourth round ( 127th ) overall of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills . He was primarily a special teams player in his five seasons for the Bills , covering kicks and punts for a Bobby April - coached unit that was consistently among the best in the league . As a rookie in 2003 , Aiken played in five of the team ' s first 11 games , recording 3 receptions for 35 yards and two special teams tackles before being placed on injured reserve on November 26 . In 2004 , Aiken played in 16 games , recording a Buffalo career - high 11 catches for 148 yards as well as 14 special teams tackles . He started two games for the Bills in 2005 while playing in all 16 ; he caught four passes for 57 yards on the season while finishing second on the team with 24 special teams tackles . In 2006 , Aiken played in 15 games and picked up 13 special teams tackles . In his final season with the Bills in 2007 , Aiken played in 12 games , recording one catch for 10 yards and six special teams tackles . New England Patriots . On March 3 , 2008 , Aiken was signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent . Aiken was active for 14 games in his first season with the Patriots , making two starts at wide receiver and recording eight receptions for 101 yards . He finished fifth on the team with 10 special teams tackles . In 2009 , Aiken was named a special teams captain following the loss of former special teams ace Larry Izzo in free agency . He also played in an increased role in the offense following the release of offseason acquisitions Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis . He started 7 games for the Patriots , making a career - high 20 receptions for 326 yards . He also caught the first two touchdowns of his career , a 54 - yarder in Week 7 and an 81 - yarder in Week 13 , the third longest career completion for quarterback Tom Brady . He finished the season with 14 games played and 11 special teams tackles . In October 2009 , Aiken signed a contract extension through 2011 . He was released during final cuts on September 4 , 2010 . Cleveland Browns . Aiken was signed by the Cleveland Browns on September 25 , 2010 . He was released on October 12 , 2010 . Coaching . In 2012 , Aiken returned to his college alma mater , North Carolina , to serve as a graduate assistant ( GA ) coach for the Tar Heels . Aiken lives in North Carolina with his wife Jade and three children .