DeAndre Rashaun Hopkins aka "Nuk", is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Texans in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson.

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Hopkins attended D. W. Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina, where he played football, basketball, and ran track. During his high school football career, Hopkins had 57 receptions for 1,266 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense and 28 interceptions and five touchdowns on defense.

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Hopkins was raised by his mother, Sabrina Greenlee, with whom he has a strong relationship. He credits her for his success. His mother held two jobs throughout his childhood and worked at an automotive factory.

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In July 2002, Greenlee had a boiling concoction of lye and bleach thrown on her by a woman Greenlee caught her boyfriend cheating with. It began rapidly peeling the skin off her neck, face and back. Her boyfriend picked her up, placed her in his vehicle and dropped her off at a nearby gas station. The gas station attendant called 911, and Greenlee was rushed to a hospital and later flown to Augusta, Georgia, where she was placed in a medically induced coma for three weeks and had skin grafts applied to her face. Greenlee suffered burns over 17 percent of her body. Her attacker was charged with assault and battery with intent to kill and received a 20-year sentence. She has been incarcerated since 2003. Hopkins' mother was left completely blind as a result of this attack.

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Hopkins' father, Harris Steve Hopkins, died in a car accident on I-85 when DeAndre was five months old, leaving his mother to raise him and his three siblings. The November 1992 car accident happened when DeAndre's parents were returning from visiting family in Atlanta. The elder Hopkins' Ford Mustang GTS hydroplaned on the rain-soaked road after making a turn and flipped three times before striking a guardrail on the driver's side. While DeAndre's mother escaped with minor injuries and a concussion, the elder Hopkins succumbed to his injuries eight days later. At the time of his death, Harris Hopkins was 25 years old.

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Hopkins' uncle on his mother's side, Terry Smith, played wide receiver at Clemson and went undrafted before having a brief professional career with the Indianapolis Colts on their practice squad from 1995–1996. His time in the NFL was marred by knee injuries that ended his career. In 1997, Smith was shot and killed by Atlanta police after forcing his way into his estranged wife's home and stabbing her. Police opened fire after Smith defied multiple orders. Close friends and former teammates said Smith was nonviolent but that his behavior had changed in the months leading up to his death. Smith played for Clemson from 1990-1993 and finished his collegiate career as the all-time leader in catches (162) and receiving yards (2,681). He was named the Tigers' MVP for the 1993 season and was known for his game-winning touchdown in the 1993 Peach Bowl, defeating Kentucky with seconds left.

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Hopkins also has three siblings, two sisters and one brother. His two older siblings, Kesha and Marcus, are from a previous relationship his mother had. His older sister, Kesha Smith, is a Southern Wesleyan University graduate. In 2014, she moved to Houston where she is a basketball trainer and a slot receiver for the Houston Wildcats of the Independent Women's Football League. His younger sister, Shanterria Cobb, signed a letter of intent in the spring of 2016 to play basketball at Texas Southern University. She was a three-time all-region selection in basketball at D.W. Daniel High School. His older brother, Marcus Greenlee, was a standout football and basketball player in high school and briefly attended Georgia Military College.

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During his time at Clemson, Hopkins majored in community recreation and sport & camp management. He also holds a SMOOOTH Back-to-school giveaway that supplies book bags and school supplies for over 2,500 children. SMOOOTH is an acronym that stand for Speaking Mentally Outwardly Opening Opportunities Towards Healing.

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Growing up, Hopkins idolized his cousin Javis Austin who also played for Clemson. Austin, whose brother died five years earlier during a pickup basketball game, attempted suicide after falling down Clemson's depth chart. He attempted suicide by shooting himself in the face with a .380 caliber pistol. Austin survived but the gunshot destroyed his right eye and damaged his left, effectively ending his football career. He now works as a special educator at an elementary school in Clemson, South Carolina. Source.

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