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At long last, we have some closure on the Nico Collins front.
Appearing on ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter’s podcast on Tuesday, the now-former Michigan football wide receiver broke his silence about his plans this fall, saying that at the moment, he’s not in Ann Arbor, and he’s fully embroiled in training for the next step of his football career.
“Right now, (I’m) training, getting ready for the NFL combine down here in Pensacola, Florida at XOS. That’s what I’m doing right now,” Collins told Schefter.
As far as Wolverines fans knew, Collins was going to be a part of whatever Big Ten season that could happen, so long as it would take place sooner than later. However, the morning that the Big Ten announced that it would be playing a fall season after all, on Sept. 16, it was revealed that Collins had signed with an agent — thus likely ending his Michigan career.
However, given that the fourth-year wideout had decided to come back for his senior year in January, and given the NCAA waivers for players who had signed with agents, could he return?
He could, but as he told Schefter, he won’t. He explained his reasoning:
“I came back for my senior season,” Collins said. “Everything was going smooth, just as planned, until this virus outbreak. The one thing that really impacted my decision was when we were supposed to play — our set date was Sept. 5 against Purdue — so during that camp process and they canceled the season. That was heartbreaking for me, because I wasn’t sure when the next time they would say — they was saying in the spring, Thanksgiving. There was too many unknown questions to answer. Nobody really had answers to it.
“I sat down with my family and I made a business decision, because I felt like I was in no man’s land for a minute. I came back to play my senior season and they canceled it. Maybe three weeks before we played Purdue Sept. 5 — it was supposed to be a home game. I had that marked on my calendar. Once they canceled that and they said they wasn’t sure when the next time we’d have a season — they was saying towards the spring, that was time — that’s training. That’s time when I would prepare for the draft, that’s around December, January, after the bowl game, and that was the set date they was saying — towards spring a little bit.
“I really just sat down with my family, I had a business decision. I really appreciate my family helping me out with that. That was one of the reasons — too many unknown questions to be had, nobody had an answer to it.”
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That said, it wasn’t a decision that Collins took lightly.
But with an eight-game Big Ten season that would expand to a ninth-crossover game, something didn’t sit right with the Alabama native. He says it was a hard decision to make, but it was one that was made with his future in mind.
“It really was (a hard decision),” Collins said. “And once I signed and got ready for the combine — and that’s when they came out with the statement to come back, to have a season at the end of October, we were gonna play Minnesota on the 24th. It was kinda just like, kinda late, eight-game — I just didn’t want to get injured, something bad happen. It just didn’t feel normal to me. I kinda just felt like everything is just forced almost, just pressured. I just made the right decision.
“It’s bittersweet, for sure. I want to be out there playing with my teammates and everything. But just had to make the right decision that’s best for me.”
He had the opportunity to opt back in, but Collins didn’t take it. He says that he’s spoken to both Jalen Mayfield and Ambry Thomas about their respective decisions, but ultimately, he made the one that suits him best.
That said, did he ever even really ponder the thought of suiting up in the maize and blue for one final go-round with the 2020 season back on?
“Yeah, I considered it,” Collins said. “It was, it was an option. I thought about it. I just, again, when I see guys opting back in, that’s when I asked my parents, we had a talk. I felt like getting my mind right and preparing for the combine was the right decision for me.”
Michigan will take the field without Collins on Saturday at Minnesota for the Big Ten season opener.
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