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Sports
Page 7
Monday • September 9, 1996
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File Photo
alvin Collins anchors talented Aggie line
By Tom Day
The Battalion
population incre ■^} lere j s nothing glamorous about his job.
Aggie football center Calvin Collins labors in
ise an addition _ obscurity at the heart of the trenches around 60
end of the cent® ^ a g arnei punishing opposing defensive linemen,
lileatthe same time absorbing their best hits.
And what does he get for clearing a path for an
gie tailback or providing pass protection for quar-
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qq rbackBranndon Stewart? Nothing but blood, sweat
d a lack of recognition.
Not exactly the most rewarding way to spend a
turday afternoon.
But6-foot-3-inch, 298-pound Collins still finds a
ayto enjoy himself on the gridiron. Ail he has to do
look up into the stands and feel the roar of the
iowd to get a charge.
^ f “It's real fan and exciting with the fans behind you
jtf^viewers, and tjnrt type of thing really pumps
up,”Collins said.
If that fails, he can just hold a casual discussion
CHP.fthhis opponents.
"I stay loose out there,” Collins said. "Sometimes,
CHPijatty on conversations with defensive linemen,
pending on who they are. We’ll be out there talk
saying, ‘What’s up, and what you going to do this
iy?’ I think that loosens you up and eases some of
tension and helps you play hard.”
|So when does the free-wheeling Collins have a
nee to enter the limelight, or at least get his pic-
FINC 341 (e in the paper?
like pulling on screens and stuff like that,”
-- Jins said. “Because for that one moment, you
;ht think someone is looking at you. That one
ment, someone might be paying attention to you,
if you make a key block to spring the tailback,
t’stheone time you may have a second of fame.”
Sophomore tailback Sirr Parker is taking Collins’
ids to the bank this year. Parker said he has com-
:e faith in Collins’ ability to create openings for
on the front line.
was joking with Calvin the other day,” Parker
p. “When he pulls, I won’t have much to worry
ut. I’ll just jump in his hip pocket.”
ill kidding aside, Collins has all the tools neces-
) to lead the Aggie offensive line in 1996, and to
NC
rake in more accolades in the process. The three
time All-Southwest Conference pick is expected to
contend for Ail-American honors again this year.
The senior earned All-American honorable men
tion honors his sophomore year and was considered
the top blocker on a line that allowed just nine quar
terback sacks in 11 games last season.
A&M Offensive Line Coach Mike Sherman said
Collins has all the attributes of an All-American.
“He has tremendous God-given strength, but
he has also developed it here in our strength pro
gram under Coach [Mike] Clark,”
Sherman said. “He is extremely
intelligent in the classroom and on
the playing field, and that helps. He’s
at a point in his life right now where
he really likes to play and his enthu
siasm is really appreciated.”
One of Collips’ most useful traijE^is
his versatility. The senior has played
musical chairs on the line throughout
his four years at A&M, rotating
between the center and guard posi
tions when necessary.
Projected to play guard in 1996,
Collins was asked to move back to
his more natural position at center, when starter
Koby Hackradt suffered a knee injury during two-
a-day workouts.
A&M Head Coach R.C. Slocum said the team was
well prepared to handle the situation.
“We had actually been working him [at center]
some before Koby got injured,” Slocum said. “We
moved him over and was looking at that combina
tion of Semisi (Heimuli) playing guard and Calvin at
center and he looks good there. He’s done it before,
including some last year.”
Collins has taken the move in stride. The senior
opened huge holes for the Aggie tailbacks during the
team’s season opener against Brigham Young
University Aug. 24. The A&M offense racked up 489
total yards, including 257 on the ground.
Even though Collins played center in high school
and has more experience at that position than at
guard, Sherman said the lineman is always willing to
make a sacrifice.
“It’s more of a natural position for him,” Sherman
“When he pulls, I
won’t have much
to worry about.
I’ll just jump in
his hip pocket.”
Sirr Parker
A&M sophomore tailback
said. “Hopefully, if he has the type of season that we
anticipate, he’ll continue to flourish. Calvin is a very
unselfish player, and I think he knows that position is
best for him. But I know he’d play guard, center or
tackle if he had to.”
Collins’ biggest desire during the 1996 season is to
assume more of a leadership role on the line. The
senior said there are more ways than one to
approaching his goal.
“Hopefully, I’ll be viewed as a leader,” Collins said.
“I want to be able to go out there and set the tone and
attitude for the offense.
“Sometimes you have to (be
vocal), other times it’s just by going
out there and playing hard. That’s
the best example and best leader
ship you can give.”
Sherman said Collins’ leadership
will help Stewart and the inexperi
enced right side of the offensive line.
“Our expectations of him are very
high as a leader on our offense,”
Sherman said. “We have a first-year '
quarterback and we have some first-
year players beside him on the right
side. [Calvin] is going to hopefully bring the experi
ence of the left side and his own experience and tie it
in to the right side.”
Collins said it could be easier to anchor the line at
the center position.
“Everyone is relying on you to make the calls,”
Collins said. “Your call dictates what calls everyone
else is going to make. They’re waiting on that call,
and I think that helps the leadership role.”
Collins said he is only concentrating on this sea
son, but Sherman said the center could make it to the
NFL if he improves in one area — consistency.
“In his present position, he has to have a good
year,” Sherman said. “I think consistency is the num
ber one thing. Calvin went out with a passion and
played the game of his life against Notre Dame (in
the 1994 Cotton Bowl) as a red-shirt freshman. He
played against first-round draft picks and really
dominated. But there are other games when he has
n’t had that consistency, and that is what he needs to
have to be able to make it to the next level.”
Stew Milne, The Battalion
Senior center Calvin Collins led the way for
A&M's tailbacks in the season opener against BYU.
lited State
y all phasi
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