Nathaniel Allen Collins (born December 14, 1987) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

. He has played for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

and

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

, after originally signing as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

Professional career

Jacksonville Jaguars

Collins was signed by the

on November 13, 2010. He played in one game in 2010 and 12 games during the 2011 season. He scored a touchdown in 2011 on a fumble recovery against the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

. In February 2012, a Virginia state trooper arrested Collins and charged him with the possession of a small amount of marijuana. Less than a month later, the Jaguars rescinded the exclusive rights free agent tender placed on Collins, making him an

unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

, free to sign with any team.

Chicago Bears

Collins was signed by the

on May 23, 2012. On July 20, 2012, Collins was suspended for 1 game after violating the league's substance policy. In 2013, Collins was set to become a restricted free agent, though he was signed to a one-year deal on March 14. In week four against the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

, Collins tore his ACL, and missed the remainder of the season. Collins was placed on injured reserve on October 9. Two days before the start of the 2014 free agency period, Collins re-signed with the Bears on a one-year deal. The Bears released Collins on August 23, 2014.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Collins was signed as a free agent on April 10, 2015, by the

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

Personal life

Collins attended

King Low Heywood Thomas King School, formerly King Low Heywood Thomas, is a private, co-educational day school for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 in Stamford, Connecticut. King attracts students from 30 towns in the Fairfield County, Connecticut, Dutchess County, New ...

Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 2020 ...

. He graduated from University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology on May 20, 2012. In April 2011, Collins and

receiver Victor Cruz started the clothing brand, Young Whales. The line, a play on words of a high-stakes casino gambler "whale", was ready for purchase online by September 2011. After his football career ended, Collins became a professional podcaster, working as a producer often referred to as “Doctor Facts” on the Green Light podcast, with former Virginia teammate and two-time NFL Super Bowl Champion Chris Long serving as the show’s host. 41-33.

References

External links

Jacksonville Jaguars bio

Chicago Bears bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Nate 1987 births Living people Sportspeople from White Plains, New York Players of American football from Connecticut American football defensive tackles Virginia Cavaliers football players New York Giants players Jacksonville Jaguars players Chicago Bears players People from Port Chester, New York Players of American football from Westchester County, New York Winnipeg Blue Bombers players