Nick Collins
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Nicholas Cordell Collins (born August 16, 1983) is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
for seven seasons with the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, and was selected by the Packers in the second round of the
2005 NFL draft The 2005 NFL draft, the 70th in league history, took place on April 23 and 24, 2005 NFL season, 2005. The draft was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and was televised for the 26th consecutive year, with coverage on E ...
. Collins led the league in
interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
s returned for
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s and interception return yards in the 2008 season. In Super Bowl XLV, he intercepted Ben Roethlisberger for a touchdown as the Packers beat the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, 31–25. In
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, Collins suffered a career-ending neck injury. He was officially released by the Packers in 2012, and formally announced his retirement in 2014. Collins was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2016.


Early life

Collins was a diverse athlete during his high school career. He attended Dixie County High School in Cross City, Florida, and lettered twice as a
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
,
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
and
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
. Collins was also given first-team all-conference honors and was named team MVP as a senior. Collins also earned two letters as a basketball guard and three letters as a
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
in baseball.


College career

He was a student athlete at Bethune–Cookman University in
Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona ...
, where he played for the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team. In 2002, Collins spent the majority of the season as a reserve
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
. He played in all thirteen games of the season, making his first two starts in the final two games of the season at the
strong safety Safety (S), historically known as a safetyman, is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free sa ...
position. Collins finished the season with 35 tackles (22 solo), one interception, five defended passes, one fumble recovery and eight kickoff returns for 181 yards. His strongest statistical performance of the season was an eight-tackle game in his first start, against
Florida A&M University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. ...
, on November 23. Collins became a full-time starter at free safety for the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats in 2003. He started 11 of the season's 12 games, missing only a November 15 contest against
Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...
. Collins had a breakout season in 2003, leading the
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC ) is a List of NCAA conferences, collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and the Mid-A ...
in interceptions with six and finished third in the conference in passes defended with 13. He also contributed 54 tackles (33 solo), a fumble recovery, and the first defensive touchdown of his college career (intercepting a pass by
Norfolk State University Norfolk State University (NSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Virginia High-Tech Partnersh ...
quarterback Willie Mitchell and returning it 45 yards for the score). He was an all-conference selection for the season. As a senior in 2004, Collins was an
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third-team Division I-AA All-America selection and first-team All-MEAC honors at the free safety position. He once again led the conference with six interceptions, led his team in solo tackles (34) and passes defended (13), and scored the second and final defensive touchdown of his collegiate career. Collins had an interception in each of the first four games of the 2004 season. He had a memorable performance in the final game of his college career, intercepting FAMU quarterback Ben Dougherty at the Bethune–Cookman 8 yard line with only 1:49 left in regulation, sending the game into overtime and to an eventual 58–52 double
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
Bethune–Cookman victory.


Professional career


2005

The
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
selected Collins in the second round (51st pick overall) of the
2005 NFL draft The 2005 NFL draft, the 70th in league history, took place on April 23 and 24, 2005 NFL season, 2005. The draft was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and was televised for the 26th consecutive year, with coverage on E ...
. Collins would become only the second Bethune-Cookman player to make the Packers roster. Many draft analysts immediately labeled the selection a "major reach" by the Packers due to Collins third to fifth round projection. NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. also labeled Collins a reach by the Packers and stated, "Corner Nick Collins is a good athlete but very raw and was a reach in the second round." On August 2, 2005, the Green Bay Packers signed Collins to a five-year, $3.76 million
contract A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more parties. A contract typically involves consent to transfer of goods, services, money, or promise to transfer any of thos ...
that includes $896,100 guaranteed and a
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $361,040. Green Bay Packers' GM Ted Thompson drafted Collins in hopes of him eventually becoming the Packers' starting free safety after Darren Sharper vacated the role when he was granted his release and signed with the NFC North rival
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. Throughout
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
, Collins competed against Earl Little, Arturo Freeman, and Marviel Underwood for a job as a starting safety. Head coach
Mike Sherman Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American gridiron football coach and former player who most recently was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Green B ...
named Collins the starting free safety to start the regular season, alongside strong safety Mark Roman. He made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Green Bay Packers' season-opener at the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
and made one tackle in their 17–3 loss. On November 21, 2005, he collected 11 combined tackles (eight solo), two pass deflections, and made his first career interception off a pass by quarterback Daunte Culpepper during a 20–17 loss to the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
in Week 11. In Week 15, Collins made a season-high 12 combined tackles (11 solo) and a pass deflection in a 48–3 loss at the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
. He completed his rookie season in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
with a career-high 84 combined tackles (63 solo), seven passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.


2006

On January 2, 2006, Packers' GM Ted Thompson fired head coach
Mike Sherman Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American gridiron football coach and former player who most recently was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Green B ...
after the Packers finished with a 4–12 record in 2005. Collins entered training camp slated as the starting free safety. Head coach
Mike McCarthy Michael John McCarthy (born November 10, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who most recently was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) from 2020 Dallas Cowboys season, 2020 t ...
officially named Collins the starter to begin the regular season, opposite starting strong safety Marquand Manuel. In Week 2, Collins collected a season-high eight solo tackles in a 34–27 loss to the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. On December 3, 2006, he recorded a season-high nine combined tackles in the Packers' 38–10 loss to the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
in Week 13. On December 31, 2006, Collins made six solo tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, two interceptions, and scored his first career touchdown in a 26–7 victory at the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in Week 17. He intercepted a pass attempt by quarterback Brian Griese and returned for a 55-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The touchdown marked the first pick six of his career. Collins completed the 2006 season with 80 combined tackles (65 solo), ten pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts.


2007

He retained his job as the starting free safety to begin 2007, alongside strong safety Atari Bigby. In Week 2, Collins collected a season-high five solo tackles during a 35–13 victory at the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. He was inactive, for the first time in his career, for three games (Weeks 11–13) after injuring his knee. He finished the season with 46 combined tackles (40 solo) and five pass deflections in 13 games and 13 starts. The
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
finished the 2007 season first in the NFC North with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. On January 12, 2008, Collins started in his first career playoff game and recorded four solo tackles in the Packers' 42–20 victory against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
in the NFC Divisional Round. The following week, he made another four solo tackles as the Packers were eliminated from the playoffs after being defeated 23–20 by the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
in the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
.


2008

Head coach Mike McCarthy retained Collins and Atari Bigby as the starting safeties to start the 2008 season. On September 14, 2008, Collins recorded two combined tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception by quarterback Jon Kitna for a 42-yard touchdown in Week 2 48–25 victory over the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. In Week 4, Collins made seven combined tackles, broke up a pass, and made an interception in a 31–20 loss at the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. The following week, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles in the Packers' 27–24 loss to the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
in Week 5. In a Week 6 34–14 blowout win over the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, he intercepted a pass by quarterback Peyton Manning in the third quarter and returned it for his second touchdown of the season. On October 19, 2008, he made a tackle, a season-high two pass deflections, and returned an interception for a 59-yard touchdown in a 28–27 loss at the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
in Week 10. He scored his touchdown after intercepting a pass by Gus Frerotte and returning it for his third pick six of the season as well as his career. On December 17, 2008, it was announced that Collins was voted to the 2009 Pro Bowl to mark his first Pro Bowl selection of his career. Collins ended the season with 72 combined tackles (60 solo), a career-high 15 pass deflections, career-high seven interceptions, three touchdowns, and a forced fumble in 16 games and 16 starts. He led the league with three pick sixes and 295 interception return yards in 2008.


2009

Collins was unsatisfied with his contract for the upcoming season and opted to skip organized team activities, but attended mandatory minicamp. On January 5, 2009, the Green Bay Packers fired defensive coordinator Bob Sanders and five other defensive coaches. The defense failed to hold on to multiple fourth quarter leads throughout 2008 and were the main cause of the Packers finishing with a 6–10 record. The Green Bay Packers' new defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, opted to retain Collins and Bigby as the starting safeties to begin 2009. On September 20, 2009, Collins recorded a season-high seven combined tackles and a pass deflection in a 31–24 loss to the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
in Week 2. In Week 10, he collected five combined tackles, deflected two passes, and made his first career sack on quarterback Tony Romo during a 17–7 win against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. On December 13, 2009, he made four combined tackles, broke up two passes, and an interception in the Packers' 21–14 victory at the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in Week 14. His interception extended his streak to four consecutive games with an interception. On December 30, 2009, it was announced that Collins was one of three safeties to be named to the NFC roster for the
2010 Pro Bowl The 2010 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host s ...
. He completed the 2009 season with 53 combined tackles (44 solo), 13 pass deflections, six interceptions, and a sack in 16 games and 16 starts. The
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
finished second in the NFC North with an 11–5 record and earned a wildcard berth. On January 10, 2010, Collins collected nine solo tackles during a 51–45 overtime loss at the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
in the NFC Wildcard Game.


2010

On March 4, 2010, the Green Bay Packers placed the highest possible restricted free agent tender on Collins, to ensure they would be compensated if he signed with another team. Any team that would sign Collins would be required to give a first and third round selection in return. On March 9, 2010, Collins signed his one-year, $3.49 million
restricted free agent A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in some sports leagues, such as the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), and National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the term ...
tender. Collins's agent stated his client chose to immediately sign the contract as a gesture of good faith in possible negotiations for a long-term deal. On March 12, 2010, the Green Bay Packers signed Collins to a four-year, $26.75 million contract that includes $14 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $4 million. Head coach Mike McCarthy named Collins the starting free safety to start the 2010 season, opposite rookie strong safety
Morgan Burnett Morgan Mark Burnett (born January 13, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football Safety (gridiron football position), safety. He played college football at Georgia Tech and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the t ...
. On November 21, 2010, Collins collected a season-high nine combined tackles during a 31–3 win at the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
in Week 11. On December 28, 2010, Collins was voted to the 2011 Pro Bowl, making it his third consecutive selection. In Week 17, he made three combined tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted pass by quarterback
Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. A member of the Chicago Bears for most of his career, he is ...
10–3 victory against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
. It marked his second consecutive game with an interception. He completed the 2010 season with 70 combined tackles (59 solo), 12 passes defensed, and four interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts. The
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
finished second in the NFC North with a 10–6 record and clinched a wildcard berth. The Packers went on to defeat the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
21–16 in the NFC Wildcard Game and earned a 48–21 victory at the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
in the NFC Divisional Round. On January 23, 2011, Collins recorded seven solo tackles as the Packers won 21–14 at the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in the NFC Championship Game. On February 6, 2011, Collins started in Super Bowl XLV and recorded four solo tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception for a touchdown as the Packers defeated the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
to win Super Bowl XLV. He returned an interception by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for a 37-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Packers a 14–0 lead, and after the play, Collins was flagged for excessive celebration, awarding the Steelers an extra 15 yards following the kickoff. He was ranked 96th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.


2011

Collins and Burnett returned as the starting safety duo to begin the 2011 regular season. He started in the Green Bay Packers' season-opener against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
and collected a season-high eight combined tackles during a 42–34 victory. On September 18, 2011, Collins was carted off the field on a stretcher in the fourth quarter and was immediately taken to the hospital after sustaining a neck injury while attempting to tackle Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart. Collins went in to make a routine tackle but when Stewart went to hurdle Collins he didn't get a complete hurdle. The crown of Collins head collided with Stewart's tailbone and Collins’ neck was compressed resulting in serious injury. He spent the night at the hospital and returned to Green Bay the next day, where it was announced that Collins would miss the remainder of the 2011 season. Collins had suffered a herniated disk in his neck, and underwent single-level cervical fusion surgery.


2012

On April 25, 2012, Green Bay decided to release Collins from the team citing concerns about his ability to return to football after suffering such a severe neck injury. On September 28, 2012, Collins' agent, Alan Herman, announced that his neck injury would most likely end his football career. On August 20, 2014, Collins officially announced his retirement from the NFL via Twitter.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Personal life

Collins and his wife Andrea live in
Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
. While in college, Collins volunteered at elementary schools and at the
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
in Daytona Beach. He has also been an instructor at a passing camp for children ages 6 to 15. He has a daughter named Jenajah, and four sons, Nicholas Jr., Nmar'e, Nash, and Nixon. He has coached high school football as a
Defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
's coach for Lake Highland Preparatory School, where he helped win them back-to-back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2022. His son Nicholas Jr. was an All-State defensive back as a freshman on the 2022 Lake Highland championship team and had already received an offer to play at his father's and grandfather's collegiate alma mater, Bethune-Cookman. After the 2022 high school football season, Collins returned to Bethune-Cookman to become its cornerbacks coach. Collins' father, Willie Collins, who had been a college quarterback, died of cancer in 2009. “He was my best friend," the younger Collins said of his father. "There was no pressure (from him). That’s one thing I can say about my father. He never put pressure on me. He did bring the best out of me. He always knew I was a self-directed type of kid and I wanted to do things my way. He made sure I stayed on track of my goals.”


References


External links


Green Bay Packers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Nick 1983 births Living people American football safeties Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football players Green Bay Packers players National Conference Pro Bowl players Players of American football from Daytona Beach, Florida Players of American football from Gainesville, Florida People from Dixie County, Florida 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame