Austin Collie-WR-BYU

whiteathlete33

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Is Collie even going to get drafted? Alot of draft boards I checked out have him as a free agent signing. He's extremely productive, has great hands, good speed and size.
 

Colonel_Reb

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Its a little early to say, imho, whiteathlete33. He's got one more year and will likely have another outstanding year. Hopefully BYU will have another season as good or better than this one and his draft stock will go up. Of course, there are the pro-days and Combine out there too. I hope Austin has an otherworldy senior year!
 

ToughJ.Riggins

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Nfldraftscout.com has Collie ranked as the #7 WR overall for the 2010 draft. He will certainly be drafted if he doesn't get hurt; the question is how high. They also have Eric Decker as the #6 WR overall for 2010!
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whiteathlete33

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Two whites in the top 10 is good. Of course Collie received his chance at BYU. BYU has put quite a few whites into the NFL in recent years even at taboo positions which they are not supposed to play. Even Luke Staley was allowed to play RB.
 

Van_Slyke_CF

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Austin Collie had his NCAA record-tying 11th consecutive 100 yards receiving game.
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BYU lost to Arizona, but Collie was tremendous as always.

Collie has the physical tools to be a top receiver in any conference. I look forward to another big year from him in 2009.
 

white lightning

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Austin finished the year with over 1500 yards receiving. He is just as good as Mike Hass and Jordy Nelson. This guy can flat out play. I look forward to him having another blockbuster year next season on his road to the NFL.
 

DixieDestroyer

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The Las Vegas Bowl commentators actually gave him "props" too (including re his athletism).
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blue_mentos

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yea the reporters were constantly praising him! You guys think its too ambitious to hope for a heisman campaign by him next year? I've always thought of him as one of the most dominating players in the game.
 

white lightning

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It's possible if Byu put alot of money into advertising but I have a feeling alot of voters would not vote for him even if he had 2000 yards receiving just because he goes to a Morman School and they frown on that. He is the best receiver in the nation ane he deserves to be seriously considered next season for that honor!
 

blue_mentos

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I believe so too. I mean, Crabtree got a good amount of votes as a freshman. Seems like if BYU had a top 15 type team next year, there really shouldn't be a reason not to mention him. Has there been any heisman winners from there? Seems like with all the tradition in the 70s and 80s there was bound to be someone close right?
 

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Quarterbacks like Detmer, Steve Young and Jim McMahon got a lot of national publicity when they ran BYU's prolific passing offense. But none of their wide receivers ever did. Maybe Collie will be the exception as he is a tremendous talent.
 

Colonel_Reb

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As someone who is a little closer to the situation, I would say any discrimination that Austin might face as a Heisman candidate would be more due to him being white and a wide receiver than being Mormon.There have only been 2 WRs to win the Heisman, the last in 1991. When was the lastwhite WR Heisman winner? There hasn't been one. Ty Detmer won it as a Mormon QB in 1990. Considering the fairly low numbers of high profile Mormon players in the past, I'd say religious discrimination against them is pretty low in this regard.


A couple ofother BYU players who have finished high in the Heisman race over the years are


1979 Marc Wilson 3rd


1984 and 1985 Robbie Bosco 3rd
 
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blue_mentos said:
I believe so too. I mean, Crabtree got a good amount of votes as a freshman. Seems like if BYU had a top 15 type team next year, there really shouldn't be a reason not to mention him. Has there been any heisman winners from there? Seems like with all the tradition in the 70s and 80s there was bound to be someone close right?

Detmer won a Heisman in 1990, and Steve Young finished 2nd behind Mike Rozier (what an NFL career he had...), from Nebraska, in 1983.

Here's the full list off of BYU's athletics site:
1962 Eldon Fortie10th in voting
1966 Virgil Carter 11th
1974 Gary Sheide8th
1976 Gifford Nielsen 6th
1979 Marc Wilson3rd
1980 Jim McMahon5th
1981 Jim McMahon3rd
1983 Steve Young2nd
1984 Robbie Bosco3rd
1985 Robbie Bosco3rd
1989 Ty Detmer9th
1990 Ty Detmer1st
1991 Ty Detmer3rd
Edited by: FieldThrower
 

blue_mentos

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It's good to see those players recognized for their achievements, regardless of religious orientation. I'm not saying that Collie should be a Heisman winner, just that he should be in the conversation a little. I'd compare him Max Hall this year. He was always a big longshot, and no one really considered him a realistic candidate, but his name was sometimes mentioned with the likes of Tebow and Bradford.
 

backrow

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An article about Collie's role for Colts (slot for now).

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PS can we move that to Colts forums? thanks!

full article from colts.com:

WHERE HE WANTS TO BE
By John Oehser - Special to Colts.com

Wide receiver Collie Says He and Colts May be Good Fit

INDIANAPOLIS - Austin Collie thought on draft day he liked his situation.
Collie, a wide receiver from Brigham Young University, said shortly after his selection in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft that he thought the Colts were a good fit not only for a wide receiver, but for the style with which he plays.

Shortly thereafter, Collie attended the Colts' rookie camp.

The experience didn't change his opinion. Not a bit.

"It's a dream come true," Collie said during the Colts' rookie camp, a three-day event that ended recently at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. "I'm happy to be here with the organization, and to be able to learn the playbook with the Indianapolis Colts is a dream come true."

Collie (6-feet-0, 200 pounds), who opted to forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility to declare for the NFL Draft, was one of the most productive players in college football this past season.

A quick, intelligent receiver who Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said has the ability to find holes and seams in coverages, Collie - the No. 127 overall selection in the fourth round - caught 215 passes for 3,255 yards in three seasons at BYU.

He spent two seasons on a church mission, then caught 106 passes for 1,538 yards and 15 touchdowns this past season.

And Colts President Bill Polian said Collie is similar in style to a player familiar to Colts fans.

The player? Former wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who played four seasons for the Colts, catching 10 touchdown passes for more than 1,000 yards in 2004.

"If you think (former Colts wide receiver) Brandon Stokley - let's hope he turns out to be as good, but the style at the collegiate level is very similar," Polian said, adding that Collie has "good hands, great routes and is a good, slot receiver."

Collie, who said he met Colts quarterback Peyton Manning briefly during mini-camp, said the weekend was about learning and getting accustomed to the Colts' way of doing things.

"It was fun and exciting," he said. "It was also fun just watching how the coaches react."

Collie, who led the nation in receiving yards as a junior, said he also watched closely first-year veteran Taj Smith during the three-day session.

"I was able to watch him and see how he does things," Collie said. "I learned a lot. They are smart and know what they are doing. It was easy to pick things up."

While Collie played slot receiver in college, and while he was compared to Stokley - who often played the slot with the Colts - on draft day, he said his goal is to not be a slot receiver or an outside receiver, necessarily, but whatever kind of receiver is needed.

"I think I can play anywhere they need me to play," he said, adding of his collegiate productivity, "Honestly, I think it takes a good receiver to have those numbers. No matter what the system is, or what the system does, or how it's aligned, a receiver who has 1,500 yards and 100 catches - I think it takes a pretty talented receiver.

"There are a lot of guys we spread the ball around to. It wasn't only me, but when the ball did come to me, I made plays."

And as for the team for which he'll be making plays in the NFL, Collie said he feels the same as he did on draft day:

That there really couldn't be a better fit.

"It's perfect," Collie said. "It couldn't be better. I couldn't have picked it any better. This is a great organization and a good transition from BYU to here. They run things in a very similar fashion. The coaching staff is phenomenal. You have guys who have great character and who work hard and who are technicians. . . .

"It's probably the best spot. I couldn't be happier. I wanted the best fit for my style of play and for what they want out of their players, I think that's what I got. It's a blessing to go into a spot and go to a team you've always grown up watching, especially a team like the Indianapolis Colts that throws the ball.

"What receiver wouldn't want to go there?"
Edited by: backrow
 

dwid

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well at least he kind of said his goal was not to just be a slot receiver. I think he is better than Stokley, and I am a ULL fan (formerly USL) Collie is bigger and a little more physical.

He is bigger than 6'0 200 pounds. I remember him measuring in at 6'1 at the combine I dont recall the weight.

There is nothing about him that reminds me of Stokley except that he is White and hes now playing for the Colts. Don't get me wrong though, I think Stokley is a great receiver who has been not been used as much as he should be except for that season where he had over 1,000 yards.Edited by: dwid
 

whiteathlete33

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Collie is a better receiver than Stokley. He is more physical and maybe a tad quicker. I think he will catch 40 balls in his first NFL season.
 

Don Wassall

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backrow said:
PS can we move that to Colts forums? thanks!

A single post out of a thread can't be moved, but anyone can start a new Collie thread in the Colts forum.
 

Colonel_Reb

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I wish Austin the best in Indy. I hope he can work his way out of the slot, as I don't think that is where he's at his best.
 

backrow

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Don Wassall said:
backrow said:
PS can we move that to Colts forums? thanks!
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<div>A single post out of a thread can't be moved, but anyone can start a new Collie thread in the Colts forum.</div>

heh, i realize that Don. i was thinking moving the whole thread so we can have continuity going. that's the reason i dug it up instead of starting a new one.
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Don Wassall

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I'd rather see the threads on college players remain in the college forums, then when they go pro start a new thread on them in the NFL, ala Brian Hartline with the Dolphins, Hester with the Chargers, Brian Leonard with the Rams and Bengals, etc.
 

backrow

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Don Wassall said:
I'd rather see the threads on college players remain in the college forums, then when they go pro start a new thread on them in the NFL, ala Brian Hartline with the Dolphins, Hester with the Chargers, Brian Leonard with the Rams and Bengals, etc.

well, it's your baby. no problem either way, i do like the idea of keeping everything in the same thread so the old ones don't get lost and we can follow their whole progress.
 
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