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Primary Mark<br />
VETERANS<br />
COMMUNITY<br />
ADMIN. &<br />
COACHES<br />
COLLINS<br />
LAMBEAU RECORDS &<br />
DRAFT &<br />
MISC. FIELD HISTORY 2008 REVIEW FREE AGENTS<br />
NICK<br />
COLLINS<br />
SAFETY<br />
BETHUNE-COOKMAN<br />
Talented, athletic defender<br />
who in 2008 progressed<br />
from a reliable<br />
cover man and sure tackler in run support to a bona fide<br />
playmaker in the secondary…This past season, intercepted<br />
a career-best seven passes, nearly tripling his previous<br />
PRO<br />
career<br />
PRO BOWLS: 1<br />
2008<br />
career total, and returned three of them for<br />
touchdowns in earning his first Pro Bowl<br />
berth, the first Packers safety to earn the<br />
honor since Darren Sharper in 2002…Became<br />
the first <strong>NFL</strong> safety to run back three INTs for TDs in<br />
a season since Kansas City’s Lloyd Burruss in 1986, and<br />
tied Herb Adderley (1965) for the single-season franchise<br />
record in the category…Also led the <strong>NFL</strong> in interception<br />
return yards with 295, the sixth-best single-season mark<br />
in <strong>NFL</strong> history, which also topped Bobby Dillon’s previous<br />
single-season franchise mark of 244…In earning secondteam<br />
All-Pro honors, his seven INTs tied him for first in<br />
the NFC with teammate Charles Woodson and second in<br />
the <strong>NFL</strong> with three others, behind only Baltimore’s Ed Reed<br />
(9)…In four seasons, has missed only three games and<br />
started 61 contests, posting 359 career tackles (270 solo),<br />
with 11 interceptions, 49 passes defensed, four forced<br />
fumbles and four touchdowns…Is tied with Woodson and<br />
Johnny (Blood) McNally for No. 4 on the Packers’ all-time<br />
list for INT returns for TDs (all with four), needing one to<br />
tie Sharper and Dillon for second…Showed the first true<br />
glimpse of his game-changing ability in the 2006 regularseason<br />
finale at Chicago, when he intercepted two passes<br />
and returned one for a TD in Green Bay’s resounding victory<br />
over the eventual NFC champion Bears…In 2007, remained<br />
reliable and productive, but did not turn in those<br />
big plays in part due to a knee injury that forced him to<br />
miss the first and only three games of his career, plus a<br />
nagging back issue that he played through repeatedly in<br />
2008…Among defensive backs, one of the fastest, if not<br />
the fastest on the team, and his speed allows him to shift<br />
from safety to cornerback if needed...Upon drafting Collins,<br />
GM Ted Thompson assigned the rookie No. 36, last worn<br />
by four-time Pro Bowler LeRoy Butler; Thompson told<br />
Butler he wouldn’t give out the number to just any player,<br />
tabbing Collins worthy of the honor…Collins answered by<br />
earning the Packers’ 2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year<br />
award…Took a little more than a week of his rookie training<br />
camp to gain his bearings, then grabbed onto the starter’s<br />
role at free safety and never relinquished it…Turned<br />
heads prior to the 2005 draft with a 40-inch vertical leap…<br />
Was the first of two second-round choices by Green Bay<br />
in the 2005 draft (51st overall and 12th defensive back),<br />
the Packers utilizing the pick acquired from New Orleans<br />
for Mike McKenzie in October 2004…Led the Mid-Eastern<br />
Athletic Conference in interceptions each of his last two<br />
seasons in college, earning all-league honors both years<br />
and successfully filling the void as Bethune-Cookman’s<br />
playmaker after three-time Division I-AA All-American<br />
Rashean Mathis departed for the <strong>NFL</strong> (Jaguars)…Also was<br />
a third-team Division I-AA All-America pick as a senior…<br />
Is only the second Bethune-Cookman athlete ever to play<br />
for the Packers, joining offensive tackle Steve Collier, who<br />
suited up for Green Bay in 1987.<br />
Ht: 5-11 Wt: 207<br />
Fifth <strong>NFL</strong> Season<br />
Fifth Packers Season<br />
Born: August 16, 1983<br />
<strong>NFL</strong> Gm. Played/Started: 61/61<br />
Acquired: D2a-05<br />
►►Returned three INTs for TDs<br />
in Pro Bowl season of 2008,<br />
be<strong>com</strong>ing the first <strong>NFL</strong> safety<br />
to do so since Kansas City’s<br />
Lloyd Burruss in 1986 and tying<br />
Herb Adderley’s single-season<br />
franchise record (1965).<br />
►►His seven INTs in 2008 tied for at a glance…<br />
first in the NFC with teammate<br />
Charles Woodson and second in the <strong>NFL</strong> with three others,<br />
behind only Baltimore’s Ed Reed (9). His 295 interception<br />
return yards led the <strong>NFL</strong> and broke the franchise record<br />
(Bobby Dillon, 244 in 1956).<br />
►►Has missed just three games in four seasons (all in 2007,<br />
knee injury) since being drafted in the second round in 2005.<br />
►►Honored by the Packers as the team’s 2005 Defensive<br />
Rookie of the Year, and earned a spot on the prestigious All-<br />
Rookie team announced by Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football<br />
Writers of America.<br />
►►Became the first Packers rookie to start a regular-season<br />
opener at safety since Chuck Cecil in 1988.<br />
►►Upon drafting Collins, GM Ted Thompson assigned the rookie<br />
No. 36, last worn by four-time Pro Bowler LeRoy Butler;<br />
Thompson told Butler he wouldn’t give out the number to<br />
just any player, tabbing Collins worthy of the honor.<br />
►►Only the second Bethune-Cookman athlete ever to play for<br />
the Packers, joining offensive tackle Steve Collier, who saw<br />
action for Green Bay in 1987.<br />
2008 season<br />
Named Pro Bowl starter to be<strong>com</strong>e<br />
the first Packers safety to receive<br />
that honor since Sharper in 2002...Earned second-team<br />
All-Pro honors from The Associated Press and All-NFC<br />
by Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association...<br />
Started every game at free safety and ranked second on the<br />
team with 99 tackles (77 solo), the second-highest season<br />
total of his career...Tied for NFC lead with teammate<br />
Woodson with career-high seven interceptions...Tied for<br />
second in the <strong>NFL</strong> in interceptions with three others, trailing<br />
only Baltimore’s Reed (9)...Only player in <strong>NFL</strong> to return<br />
three interceptions for TDs in 2008, be<strong>com</strong>ing the first <strong>NFL</strong><br />
safety to ac<strong>com</strong>plish the feat since Kansas City’s Burruss<br />
in 1986…Tied Adderley (1965) for team single-season<br />
record with the three INT returns for scores...Led league<br />
with 295 interception return yards, which is the sixth-most<br />
in a single season in <strong>NFL</strong> history and tops in Green Bay<br />
history, besting Dillon’s mark (244 in 1956)...Along with<br />
Woodson, became only the second tandem in franchise<br />
history to each post 165-plus interception return yards in a<br />
season (John Symank/Dillon, 1957)...Along with Woodson<br />
and Tramon Williams, became first Packers trio to each<br />
post five interceptions in a season since 1996 (Eugene<br />
Robinson, Doug Evans, Butler)…Second on the team with<br />
a career-high 18 passes defensed...On the field for 986-of-<br />
1,050 (93.9 percent) defensive snaps, which ranked third<br />
on the team…At Detroit (Sept. 14): Posted second TD<br />
of his career when he intercepted QB Jon Kitna with just<br />
over two minutes remaining and returned the pick 42 yards<br />
for the score...Vs. Dallas (Sept. 21): Intercepted a Tony<br />
Romo pass toward end of first quarter in the end zone, and<br />
returned it 61 yards. Posted eight tackles and two passes<br />
defensed on the night, but left game in third quarter with a<br />
bruised back and did not return...At Tampa Bay (Sept.<br />
108 25
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