Chris Collier
| Personal information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | March 24, 2000 Lawrence, New York, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Lawrence (Cedarhurst, NY) | ||||
| College: | Nassau CC (2018–2019) Wagner (2020–2022) Lock Haven (2023) | ||||
| Position: | Running back | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2024 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2024 | |||||
| |||||
Chris Collier (born March 24, 2000) is an American professional football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the Nassau Lions, Wagner Seahawks and Lock Haven Bald Eagles.
Early life
[edit]Collier was born on March 24, 2000, and grew up in Lawrence, Nassau County, New York.[1] He started playing football at age six and attended Lawrence High School where he played running back.[2] As a senior, he helped Lawrence compile a record of 10–2 while running for over 1,800 yards and 25 touchdowns.[3] However, he received little attention as a college recruit due to having suffered a knee injury the year prior, which caused most schools to lose interest.[3] He enrolled at Nassau Community College to play college football.[4]
College career
[edit]Collier saw limited playing time in his two seasons with Nassau, where he was a fourth-string running back.[3] He totaled 78 rushing yards as a freshman in 2018 and 270 rushing yards with a touchdown in 2019; he also caught five receiving touchdowns in 2019.[5] In 16 total games played for Nassau, he ran for 348 yards, had 184 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns.[6]
Collier had an offer to continue his college football career with the NCAA Division I FCS Wagner Seahawks and transferred there in 2020.[3] He ran for 83 yards in two games during the COVID-19-shortened spring 2021 season and ran for 168 yards in six games during the fall 2021 season.[7] However, he battled concussions early during his time at Wagner, at one point having sustained three in a six-game span.[3] He ran for 86 yards in three games during the 2022 season and then transferred to the NCAA Division II Lock Haven Bald Eagles for the 2023 season.[3][7]
Collier had a breakout season with the Bald Eagles in 2023, playing 11 games while running for 1,393 yards and 12 touchdowns and recording 22 receptions for 238 yards and three touchdowns.[8] He helped Lock Haven to its best season since 1982 and broke the school's all-time single-season rushing yards record, receiving numerous honors including being a nominee for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best player in the NCAA Division II.[3][9][10] He was a three-time conference player of the week and was named first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), first-team Division II All-American, D2CCA second-team All-Region, to the DII Elite 100 team and was named the PSAC Offensive Player of the Year.[3][8]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 10+7⁄8 in (1.80 m) |
203 lb (92 kg) |
32+3⁄8 in (0.82 m) |
9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) |
4.48 s | 1.50 s | 2.50 s | 4.20 s | 6.78 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
10 ft 9 in (3.28 m) |
21 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[3][11] | ||||||||||||
Collier impressed at his pro day, with a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and a 6.78 three-cone drill, each being better than any running back at the NFL Scouting Combine.[3] After going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent, being given a three-year, $2.8 million contract.[10][12] In preseason, he saw action as a running back and kick returner, recording 28 rushes for 104 yards and two receptions.[10] He was waived by the Ravens on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad the following day.[10] He was elevated to the active roster for the team's Week 3 game against the Dallas Cowboys and made his NFL debut in the 28–25 win, appearing on one special teams snap.[13][14][15] He became only the third Lock Haven alumni ever to play in the NFL, as well as the first since 1987.[3][16] Collier was elevated a second time for Week 4 and a third time for Week 5.[17][18] He saw no action in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills, but then appeared on 11 special teams snaps in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals and returned two kickoffs for 22 yards.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Chris Collier". Fox Sports.
- ^ Schug, Parker (May 10, 2024). "From Lawrence High to the NFL". Nassau Herald.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k States, Ryan (April 25, 2024). "LHU's Chris Collier hoping to reach NFL as the draft begins". Williamsport Sun-Gazette.
- ^ Regina, Nick (April 29, 2024). "NFL: Former Wagner College gridder goes undrafted, signs with Baltimore Ravens". Staten Island Advance.
- ^ "Chris Collier". Nassau Lions.
- ^ "Former NCC Running Back Signs with NFL's Ravens". Nassau Lions. May 2, 2024.
- ^ a b "Chris Collier". Wagner Seahawks.
- ^ a b "Chris Collier". Lock Haven Bald Eagles.
- ^ "Collier sets rushing record for Lock Haven in loss on Saturday". Williamsport Sun-Gazette. November 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c d States, Ryan (August 28, 2024). "Former LHU running back Chris Collier named to Baltimore Ravens practice squad". The Express.
- ^ "Chris Collier College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ Holtzapple, Brian (April 29, 2024). "Baltimore Ravens sign Lock Haven's Chris Collier". The Standard-Journal.
- ^ "Ravens' Chris Collier: Elevated ahead of Sunday's game". CBS Sports. RotoWire. September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Chris Collier: Heads back to practice squad". CBS Sports. RotoWire. September 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "Chris Collier Career Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "Lock Haven Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "Chris Collier News: Elevated from practice squad". RotoWire. September 28, 2024.
- ^ "Ravens' Chris Collier: Elevated ahead of Week 5". CBS Sports. RotoWire. October 5, 2024.