Alex Collins,
UndeFined UndeFined by Megan Boyle
Long dreadlocks drape the nape of his neck, covering the name emblazoned on the back of his jersey. A darkly-tinted facemask obscures his eyes and face from onlookers.
and sleek 5-foot-10 frame – and he likes that. In fact, Collins relishes in putting people – defenders especially – on their heels, always keeping everyone guessing. What is he going to do next?
Well, except for his number.
“It’s fun to me – making people miss,” Collins says about why he enjoys his position. “I like playing mind games with the defender, because they never know what I’m doing or where I’m going.”
34.
Shifty.
Fans and foes know who that player is as soon as he steps onto the field, crushes through a linebacker for a first down or conducts a celebratory end zone jig.
Elusive.
It can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint a player in uniform, and the two clearest identifiers have been concealed from the human eye.
You don’t need to see a name on the jersey to detect No. 34: Alex Collins. He doesn’t look like your typical running back, with his lengthy locks
Dynamic. Unyielding. There are many words to describe Collins on the field – but it’s hard to actually define the standout performer. What exactly made his first year with
the Ravens in 2017 so successful? How did he rack up 973 yards on just 212 carries? His multi-faceted skillset creates a unique player who has star power potential for the Ravens. You can’t define Alex Collins, the running back: he isn’t onedimensional. One-trick backs are targeted by opponents – they are the ones who have definitive ‘tells’ – indicators to the defense of the next move or play. Collins fully admits he isn’t perfect, as teammates will alert the running back of those tendencies, so he can work tirelessly on erasing them. Having a ‘tell’ means you are predictable – and being predictable isn’t his style. “My trademark is being unpredictable,” he explains. “You just have so much in your arsenal, like the stiff arm and spin move. Then you start playing with it, and you put two and two together,
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“He’s going to be extremely physical getting from one point to the next,” Hammock states. “I think that’s an underrated skill that people don’t see, with how physical he plays. Having that ability to make explosive-like plays makes you a much better team overall.” Unpredictable, undefinable – these are common traits of Collins. He carries these tendencies off the field as well.
add move on top of move, and you’re doing whatever to make the guy miss or break the tackle.” Running backs coach Thomas Hammock agrees that Collins’ bullish and rare demeanor on the field makes him a playmaker the Ravens need.
The South Florida native can be described as an Irish dancer, lacrosse player and pianist. He’s into a wide array of music and artists, and notes that he’d be a social worker if his professional sports career didn’t pan out. He is not just a football player. Hammock describes Collins, the person, as a unique, well-rounded individual.
“MY TRADEMARK IS BEING UNPREDICTABLE.”
“He’s one of a kind,” Hammock chuckles. Everything that Alex Collins (the person) does, shapes who Alex Collins (the running back) is. “It’s all about your mindset, like learning a dance or trying to learn piano,” Collins describes. “The only way you can get better is by repetition. It’s knowing the problem and trying to solve it, and that’s what I’m going to attack. If I’m blocking somebody, and my hands go down and then up – I’ll practice keeping my hands stationary and ready to block. So when we go out to practice, I know that’s what I’m trying to work on. But it takes that effort, that ‘want to,’ to actually do it.” This versatility has helped his transition through each phase of life: from a multi-positional threat in high school, to
stellar running back at Arkansas, all the way to a promising NFL career. “You can look at Alex and understand that there isn’t a point in ever giving up,” teammate Javorius Allen says. “He was a scout team running back at one time and came to Baltimore for a scout team job. This business is all about getting the opportunity. When you get it, what are you going to do with it?” The jack of all trades seized his opportunity in 2017 with the Ravens and solidified his place on the 53-man roster. What he will continue to do with his momentum has yet to be defined – much like the player. A single word cannot encapsulate No. 34 – the man or player, who is quite unconventional. You cannot predict
what Collins’ next move or action will be, but rest assured that it’s going to lead him in the direction of excellence. “When you get success, you want more success,” Hammock affirms. “Trust
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me, his hunger and desire to be great has been fueled.” Alex Collins yearns to be great – on his own terms, of course, in his own unique way.