In
what will forever be remembered as the signature moment of Nick Collins’ NFL
career, he drew a flag from not one, but three officials. The infraction he was
guilty of was leaving his feet in celebration, and it cost the Packers 15 yards
on the ensuing kickoff. Nobody wearing green and gold gave one shit. Collins
had just picked off a Ben Roethlisberger pass (errant thanks to pressure from
big Howard Green) and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown, giving the Packers
a 14 point lead in Superbowl XLV they would never relinquish.
Collins
was drafted by the Packers in the second round of the 2005 draft (51st
overall) out of Division 1-AA Bethune Cookman. Though not exactly a football
powerhouse, the school of roughly 3500 students has sent several players to the
NFL. He had a good but not great college career, and his selection on day one
of the draft was roundly criticized by the draft ‘experts.’ Mel Kiper described
Collins as ‘very raw’ and ‘a reach in the second round.’ While Kiper’s
assertion that Collins was ‘raw’ was probably accurate, he turned out to be
anything but a reach in the second round.
Collins
was immediately thrust into the role of starting free safety following the
departure of potential Hall of Famer Darren Sharper. While those were some big
shoes to fill, Collins and Green Bay had other concerns at the time. After having
suffered through band aid replacements at safety (Marquand Manuel, Bhawoh Jue,
Mark Roman, etc.), the team was in desperate need of some upgraded play at the
position. Though Collins had an uneven season as a rookie, he showed tenacity by
piling up a career high 84 tackles and forcing two fumbles. He clearly won the
favor of the Green Bay coaching staff with a hard-nosed style, firm commitment
to proper tackling, and a willingness to listen and learn. His starting spot as
the quarterback of the defense was never so much as challenged for the rest of
his career.
In
year two of his pro career (frequently referred to as the ‘leap year’), Collins
turned in a sparkling stat line. He started all 16 games, picked off three
passes (returning one for a touchdown), forced two fumbles, and broke up 10
passes. The young player quickly became a leader on the defense. The numbers
were no fluke, as he would go on to amass 21 interceptions and four touchdowns
in his six year career. He earned Pro Bowl honors in three consecutive seasons,
and would miss a total of only three games due to injury. The Packers had found
their difference maker at the safety position. And in a flash, it was all over.
Following
a seemingly innocuous tackle attempt on Panthers' running back Jonathan
Stewart in week two of the 2011 season, Collins remained on the turf. The familiar scene of players and
doctors huddled around a motionless player (along with the sick feeling, pangs
of guilt, and immediate moral inventory) was plastered across the HD screen. He
was carted off the field, but was able to give the customary thumbs up to the
crowd. I remember thinking, ‘Damn, I hope this is only a week or two type thing.
He should be fine.’ The sobering reality was that Collins had suffered a
fractured vertebrae that would require spinal fusion surgery. Potentially
career-ending. Thud.
While
Nick’s wife Andrea and three children (Jenajah, Nick Jr, and Nmar’e) were no
doubt elated to hear that he would have full range of motion following the
surgery, he still had a desire to play. He rehabbed during the rest of the
season and the entire offseason, working to get back to the field. The Packers
organization quickly took a conservative, wait-and-see stance. Coach Mike
McCarthy went so far as to say, ‘That’s probably one of the worst parts of your
job. Walking out on the field looking over a player, especially when it didn’t
look very serious … and this is not about me. I’m just talking about, if that
was my son, if Nick was my son, I would not let him play.’ In the end a
comeback was not to be, as the Packers released Nick Collins on April 25th,
2012, citing potentially life threatening health concerns.
I
would no doubt have loved to see Collins back on the field, but I applaud the
Packers for doing what certainly seems to be the right thing. They treated
their player as a person instead of property, something not often seen in today’s
NFL. ‘36’ gave us more than a few
electrifying plays during his time as a Packer, and played a huge role in
winning Superbowl XLV. He stayed with the team throughout the season last year,
taking on a mentor/coach type role, and has expressed interest in coaching at
the NFL level in the future. His career was cut short by injury, but at six
years, he managed to play about three years longer than the average NFL player.
He can walk away from the game having made several million dollars, won a
championship, received well deserved personal accolades, and still play catch
with his kids. Thanks for the great memories Nick, good luck with rest of your
life, and I hope to see you roaming the sidelines at Lambeau with a clipboard
and headphones in the not-too-distant future.
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