Enos has fond memories of former Razorback Alex Collins
Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos opened his Thursday press conference with an emotional remembrance of former Razorback Alex Collins, who tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident Sunday.
Enos was Collins’ OC in 2015, during the record-setting running back’s final season in Fayetteville, before he was drafted in the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks and embarked on a five-year NFL career that included a stint with the Baltimore Ravens and a return to Seattle.
“Sad, sad news,” Enos said. “Alex was a great player, obviously. He was just a wonderful person. Great character. Smile on his face. Practiced really hard. Was a great teammate. His teammates loved him. He came to work every day and was super competitive. That’s what I loved about him. The bigger the moment, the year I was here with him, the better he played.”
Collins was driving his motorcycle in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., late Sunday night when he crashed into the rear passenger side of an SUV. Upon impact, he went through the vehicle’s rear passenger side window and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The stout 5-foot-11, 215-pound speedster, whose signature dreadlocks descended from his helmet, was one of only three SEC running backs to ever run for more than 1,000 yards in each of their first three seasons, joining fellow Razorback Darren McFadden and Georgia’s Herschel Walker.
During his junior season in Enos’ offense, Collins ran for 1,577 yards, while topping 150 yards in five games, with a hefty 5.8 yards per carry. He also finished with a school-record 20 touchdowns on the ground, earning All-SEC and All-American honors, and was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award.
He capped that season, and his Arkansas career, with 185 yards and three touchdowns, in a 45-23 win over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl.
“He just did a tremendous job — not just as a player, but as a person,” said Enos, who was at Arkansas from 2015-17, before returning this season. “What a great young man. Was fun to be around and coach. It’s just heartbreaking. He had so much life left to live. Just a wonderful, beautiful person. Then you read all the things his teammates say about him. Not just here, but in the National Football League, as well. Obviously, prayers to his family. Just a wonderful human being.”
Collins sits only behind McFadden on Arkansas’ career rushing list with 3,703 yards. He rushed for more than 100 yards in 10 games in 2015, tying McFadden’s single-season mark, and is second to D-Mac in career 100-yard games with 17.
