Green Bay Packers: 50 greatest players in franchise history

Greatest players in Green Bay Packers history: 45. Nick Collins

Nick Collins was an outstanding safety for the Packers that saw his carer cut far too short due to injury. Green Bay used its second-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft to take the defensive back out of Bethune-Cookman. What they ended up with was one of the cornerstones of their championship defense in 2010.

Collins was able to crack the starting lineup as a rookie at free safety in 2005. While he was a reliable player in his first few years in the league, his ballhawking ability really didn’t come into form until year four. Collins set a career high with seven interceptions for 295 yards and three touchdowns that season. That would be the first of three Pro Bowl seasons for Collins with the Packers.

From 2008 to 2010, Collins was named to the Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro second team player. Along with Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews III, Collins would help the Packers win their most recent Super Bowl over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. Green Bay would carry that momentum into the next season, where the Packers went 15-1 during the regular season, but didn’t do much in the NFC playoffs. Sadly, 2011 would be Collins’ last NFL season.

He suffered a neck injury that forced him into early retirement in 2012. Collins wasn’t yet 30 years old. In 2014, Collins was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame. He finished his seven-year NFL career with 340 tackles, 77 assists, 68 pass breakups and 21 interceptions for 507 yards and four touchdowns.