Jamie Collins (American football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jamie Collins

Collins with the New England Patriots in 2014
North Carolina Tar Heels
Position:	Inside linebackers coach
Personal information
Born:	(1989-10-20) October 20, 1989 (age 35) McCall Creek, Mississippi, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:	Franklin County (Meadville, Mississippi)
College:	Southern Miss (2009–2012)
NFL Draft:	2013 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52
Career history
As player:
New England Patriots (2013) Cleveland Browns (2016) New England Patriots (2019) Detroit Lions (2020–2021) New England Patriots (2021–2022)
As coach:
North Carolina (2025-present) Inside linebackers coach
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLIX) Second-team All-Pro (2015) Pro Bowl (2015) NFL forced fumbles leader (2015) First-team All-C-USA (2012)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 708 Sacks: 26.5 Pass deflections: 39 Interceptions: 12 Forced fumbles: 19 Fumble recoveries: 8 Defensive touchdowns: 2
Player stats at PFR

Jamie Lee Collins Sr. (born October 20, 1989) is an American former professional football player. He played as a linebacker for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was mostly known for his time with the New England Patriots.

Collins played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The Patriots picked him in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. During his time with the Patriots, he earned Pro Bowl honors in 2015. That year, he led the league in forced fumbles and also won Super Bowl XLIX. Besides the Patriots, he also played for the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions.

Early Life and High School Football

Jamie Collins was born in McCall Creek, Mississippi. He went to Franklin County High School in Meadville, Mississippi. There, he played high school football for the Franklin County Bulldogs.

He started playing as a quarterback, receiver, and safety. Later, he became a quarterback and outside linebacker. In 2006, he led his team to the Class 3A State Championship. He gained over 2,000 yards and scored 26 touchdowns that season. In 2007, as a senior, he rushed for over 1,200 yards and passed for 1,000 yards. He helped his team reach the state championship game again.

Track and Field Achievements

Collins was also a great track and field athlete. He qualified for the state track meet. In 2009, he won first place in shot put and discus throw at the 3A South State Meet. He also placed second in high jump and triple jump. He won the 2009 MHSAA 3A shot put title.

College Football Career

Collins went to the University of Southern Mississippi. He played for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team from 2009 to 2012. He played different positions like defensive back, defensive end, and linebacker.

During his college career, he made 314 tackles. He also had 21 quarterback sacks, three interceptions, and three touchdowns. In 2012, he was chosen for the first-team All-Conference USA after his senior season.

Professional Football Journey

Getting Ready for the NFL Draft

Collins entered the 2013 NFL Draft. He went to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. He performed very well in all the drills. Collins set an NFL Combine record with a broad jump of 11 feet, 7 inches. This was a new record at the time.

First Time with the New England Patriots (2013–2016)

The New England Patriots picked Collins in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was the 52nd player chosen overall. On May 17, 2013, the Patriots signed him to a four-year contract.

Rookie Season (2013)

Collins started his first NFL season as a backup linebacker. He made his professional debut in the Patriots' first game of the season. In Week 7, he got his first career start. This happened after another player, Jerod Mayo, got injured. Collins finished his rookie season playing in all 16 games. He had 43 tackles and four pass deflections.

The Patriots made it to the playoffs. In his first playoff game, Collins had six tackles, a pass deflection, his first career sack, and his first career interception.

Super Bowl Champion (2014)

In 2014, Collins became a starting outside linebacker for the Patriots. He had a great season, setting a career-high with 116 combined tackles. He also had four sacks and two interceptions.

The Patriots had a strong season and made it to Super Bowl XLIX. On February 1, 2015, Collins helped the Patriots defeat the Seattle Seahawks 28–24. This win made him a Super Bowl champion!

Pro Bowl Season (2015)

Collins continued as a starting linebacker in 2015. He had a career-high 5.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. He was selected to the 2016 Pro Bowl, which was his first Pro Bowl selection. He was also named to the 2015 AP All-Pro second team.

In one game, he recovered a fumble and returned it for his first career touchdown. Collins played in 12 games that season. The Patriots made the playoffs again, but lost in the AFC Championship Game.

Final Games of First Stint (2016)

Collins started the 2016 season with the Patriots. He had a strong game in Week 3, with 14 tackles and an interception.

Time with the Cleveland Browns (2016–2018)

On October 31, 2016, Collins was traded to the Cleveland Browns. He made his debut with the Browns in November. He finished the 2016 season with a total of 112 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions.

In January 2017, the Browns signed Collins to a four-year contract. In 2017, he started the season as a strongside linebacker. However, he got injured during the season and was placed on injured reserve. He finished the 2017 season playing in six games.

Collins in 2018

In 2018, Collins played in all 16 games and had 104 tackles. He also recorded 4.0 sacks and an interception. He was released by the Browns in March 2019.

Second Time with the New England Patriots (2019)

On May 15, 2019, Collins re-signed with the Patriots for another year. He had a great return season.

• In Week 2, he had two interceptions, including one he returned for a 69-yard touchdown.
• In Week 3, he sacked the quarterback twice.
• In Week 4, he had a sack and an interception that helped seal a win.
• In Week 6, he forced a fumble that led to a touchdown for his team.
• In Week 8, against his former team, the Cleveland Browns, he had 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Playing for the Detroit Lions (2020–2021)

On March 25, 2020, Collins signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Lions. He joined his former Patriots coach, Matt Patricia, and some teammates there.

Collins with the Lions in 2020

In Week 2, he recorded his first sack as a Lion. In Week 3, he had his first interception with the team. On September 28, 2021, Collins was released by the Lions.

Third Time with the New England Patriots (2021–2022)

The Patriots re-signed Collins on October 6, 2021. He made his third debut for the Patriots in Week 5. He recorded a sack in that game. He was later placed on injured reserve but was activated in December. Collins re-signed with the Patriots again on October 3, 2022, joining their practice squad.

Retirement from Football

On October 6, 2023, Jamie Collins announced that he was retiring from the NFL.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season