Alex Collins will be remembered for more than the yards he gained as a running back for the University of Arkansas over three seasons.
Collins, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., started with a hint of controversy before he even made it to campus. His mom initially refused to sign the scholarship papers on signing day, but that was worked out within a few hours and Collins became part of Bret Bielema's first Razorbacks recruiting class.
That class had four players who were rated as four-star recruits, Collins, Hunter Henry, Denver Kirkland and Reeve Koehler.
Collins, Henry and Kirkland have all declared for the 2016 NFL Draft and while there should be some disappointment among Razorbacks fans, isn't that really the type of players fans want Bielema to recruit? Guys who have a shot to play on the next level?
Guys good enough to go before their senior season?
If the answer to those questions isn't "yes," you might be a bit too selfish.
Henry is projected as the No. 1 tight end in the draft.
Kirkland is projected as one of the top guards, although he played tackle this season. His natural position is guard.
Collins is probably looking at late third or early fourth round.
Of those three, Collins might have helped himself by coming back and being an every down back for the second consecutive season.
Bielema apparently offered to have him promoted as a Heisman Trophy candidate, although that looks like LSU's Leonard Fournette's to lose next season.
Heisman campaigns by anyone other than ESPN don't mean much anymore. These days it is just too easy to look up the numbers on players all over the country.
So Collins is going to meet the draft head on at a time when running backs, for some reason, are being devalued. But a lot of future success depends on which team drafts you and what its needs are.
One thing that will be tested is Collins' ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He was only asked to do that 13 times this season.
His strengths are his acceleration, the ability to cut at full speed and he can move a pile.
He doesn't have breakaway speed, but he was fast enough to run for more than 1,000 yards all three years at Arkansas.
Which brings us back to the lead paragraph and remembering Collins for more than 3,703 yards and 36 career touchdowns.
Collins' role in the victory over Ole Miss was almost as critical as Henry's.
Arkansas trailed 52-45 in overtime, facing fourth and 25 at the Ole Miss 40. Brandon Allen passed to Henry, who was about to be stopped 11 yards short of the first down. So he lateraled, and there was Collins with his eye on the ball and moving forward. He was the one guy, maybe the only guy, that the Hogs really needed to field that lateral.
He caught the ball on one clean bounce at the 42, 2 yards farther from the end zone than where the play had begun, shifted to his left and was dragged down 31 yards later, 9 yards short of the end zone.
It was enough for the first down. But Collins and Henry thought the Hogs needed to score, so Collins followed Henry's lead and let go of the ball before going down. Dominique Reed recovered the fumble at the Ole Miss 11, and the Hogs had a first down and new life.
Allen's 9-yard pass to Drew Morgan two plays later put the Hogs down by one. Allen drew a face-mask call on the first two-point try to win, and then scored the two-point conversion, leaving Ole Miss to say all we needed was to stop a fourth and 25 to have played for the SEC championship.
That's just one of the great memories Alex Collins leaves behind as he takes the next step in fulfilling his life dream of playing in the NFL.
Sports on 01/12/2016