Tony Collins
Encyclopedia
Anthony Collins is a former professional American football
running back
in the National Football League
and the Arena Football League.
as a starter
on the 1976 New York State Class B Champion Penn Yan Academy Mustangs.
and was selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft
by the New England Patriots
. Cris Crissy, one of his high school teammates, was also drafted by the Patriots that season. Collins was a Pro Bowl
selection in 1983 and he played in Super Bowl XX
as a member of the Patriots. His final year was in 1990 with the Miami Dolphins
. His NFL career was shortened by drug use. Collins finished his NFL career with 4,647 rushing yards, 261 receptions
for 2,356 yards, and 44 touchdowns in 103 games.
of the Arena Football League. On July 9, 1991, Collins drove his car into a lake in Orlando, Florida
, in a suicide attempt. Collins, 32 years old, was treated at a hospital and released about an hour later. He fully recovered and returned to the Predators later in the arena football season. In 1992 Collins continued his arena football career with the Cincinnati Rockers
and scored 9 touchdown
s. In 1993 Collins played his last season of arena football with the Miami Hooters.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and the Arena Football League.
Early years
A speedy and powerful runner, Collins first garnered notoriety in high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
as a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
on the 1976 New York State Class B Champion Penn Yan Academy Mustangs.
NFL
He attended East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
and was selected in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Cris Crissy, one of his high school teammates, was also drafted by the Patriots that season. Collins was a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection in 1983 and he played in Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
as a member of the Patriots. His final year was in 1990 with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. His NFL career was shortened by drug use. Collins finished his NFL career with 4,647 rushing yards, 261 receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
for 2,356 yards, and 44 touchdowns in 103 games.
Arena football
In 1991, Collins joined the Orlando PredatorsOrlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
of the Arena Football League. On July 9, 1991, Collins drove his car into a lake in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, in a suicide attempt. Collins, 32 years old, was treated at a hospital and released about an hour later. He fully recovered and returned to the Predators later in the arena football season. In 1992 Collins continued his arena football career with the Cincinnati Rockers
Cincinnati Rockers
The Cincinnati Rockers were an Arena Football League team that competed in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.-History:They played their home games at Riverfront Coliseum. The team color scheme incorporated bright yellow and green...
and scored 9 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. In 1993 Collins played his last season of arena football with the Miami Hooters.