LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — It is extremely rare for Lock Haven to have an athlete looking to go pro, but that is exactly what superstar running back Chris Collier intends to do, as Collier officially declared for the NFL draft earlier in April. Collier had a dominant season for the Bald Eagles this fall, breaking school records and winning conference awards, but Collier grinded, hustled and fought through adversity made him the confident running back Lock Haven fans, teammates and NFL scouts see today.
But there is much more to his story than that.
Collier’s story all starts in his little hometown of Lawrence, New York. New York is a hotbed for high school football, and the Lawrence Tornadoes were no different thanks in large part to their superstar halfback. In Collier’s senior season for the Tornadoes he broke onto the scene, rushing for over 1,800 yards and 25 touchdowns while leading his team to a 10-2 record. Despite this, there was not much buzz surrounding the high school phenom, due to an injury he suffered the year before.
It is no secret how devastating injuries can be to a player’s confidence, especially when it is as severe as what Collier’s was. Collier suffered multiple torn ligaments in his knee after a bad fall in a high school game, leading to him losing interest from many major schools.
“That season was right after I blew out my knee,” Collier said. “I had lost a lot of offers because of it. I ended up getting them back, but they only offered PWO’s [preferred walk-on]. Those were the power-five schools like Rutgers, Temple and Kentucky. Since none of them were willing to pay for my education, I ended up going to JUCO at Nassau Community College.”
In his two years at Nassau, Collier had a struggle finding his footing, not playing much in either of his two seasons. Despite the setbacks, Collier said he was grateful for his time there.
“It was very humbling,” Collier said, “You go from high school where you are the guy, and then you go somewhere where everybody is like you. That’s where I learned I had to humble myself and learn the different speeds of the game.”
Collier also spoke about what happens behind the scenes at a JUCO school, and the strain it can put on a student athlete.
“It was tough,” he said, “I don’t know if anyone reading this knows what Last Chance U is, but they really showed what [being a JUCO athlete] was like when they showed Laney College. They showed students sleeping in their cars, the ones who had to go from practice straight to work. That’s basically what it was like for me. My days where 4 or 5 o’clock wake up for our workout, 7 to 3 be at school, 3 to 4:30 was meetings, then practice from 4:30 to 7, then I was working 7 to 12.”
This strain is something that many JUCO athletes go through, as most community schools cannot give out scholarships, so the players must find a way to pay for schooling themselves. This in turn leads to many athletes not having the appropriate time to adjust to college life, which can be damaging to someone’s own moral, and leads to a very high rate of JUCO drop outs.
Not only can this become a problem, but also having to balance work, school, and personal time can lead to students not having enough time to properly develop their own athletic skills, leading to a stunt in growth and overall stagnation.
Going into his second year with Nassau, Collier was listed as the fourth string running back, but through hard work and perseverance, he got an offer from Wagner University in New York.
Making the jump from community college to Division I FCS would not be an easy one, and once again Collier was faced with adversity. Going into the 2020 season Collier was set to be the starter at Wagner, but at the worst possible time, he ran into a setback with a multitude of concussions.
“I suffered three concussions in six games,” Collier said. “So it was one of those things where when I did try to come back [but] it was hard to find my footing again.”
Collier played two seasons at Wagner, amassing 265 total yards and one touchdown in eight games. Wagner competes in the Northeast Conference, so while Collier did not face the highest of competition, schools like Saint Francis (SFU) and Duquesne are no slouches. Collier’s best game in his time at Wagner was against SFU, where he ran the ball 24 times for 75 yards.
Having already dealt with so much throughout his college career, many would have simply given up football and focused on school or entering the workforce. But despite all the setbacks and struggle, seemingly nothing would stop Collier from achieving his goals.
After his 2021 season at Wagner, Collier got healthy and moved down to Division II when he transferred to Lock Haven. While it was not his only option, something about the area and the coaching staff made his decision an easy one.
“At first I didn’t even have it in the back of my mind,” Collier noted. “But I knew Coach P [Jeri Petite]. He was there at Wagner with me and told me to come up and see how it is. I went up there and I met the coaches and I got to talk with Coach Mulrooney. He really was the key main factor in my decision,” Collier continued. Just his charisma and the way he operates. He had this vision set out for me, I trusted him and he delivered on every promise.”
It had been clear from the beginning of the 2023 season that Collier would be the focal point in the Bald Eagles offense, and that decision paid off in spades. Collier amassed over 1,500 total yards and 15 touchdowns, breaking Lock Haven’s single-season rushing record.
It is very rare to see a DII player make it to the NFL, but it’s certainly not impossible. Just last year Shepherd University quarterback Tyson Bagent made it to the NFL, even starting a few games for the Chicago Bears. To make it to the NFL from DII, a player’s talent needs to pop off the screen. Luckily for Collier that is exactly what he did, clearly being the best player on the field in every game he played, and at times looked like a man among boys.
Collier earned a host of accolades after his phenomenal 2023 season, winning PSAC Offensive Player of the year, being named First Team All-Conference, being named an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) DII First Team All-American, DII Elite 100 Team selection and was nominated for the Harlon Hill trophy (DII Heisman).
Immediately after declaring for the draft Collier got in the gym and began training for his pro day.
“We’re going through all the tests,” Collier said. “Like the 40, 225 bench, vertical jump, everything like that.”
Whatever Collier and his trainer worked on paid off, as Collier showed out in his pro day at Temple University. Scouts there to see Temple’s players were shocked by the ability Collier displayed, as Andrew DiCecco of InsideTheBirds put it,
“The Lock Haven running back looked explosive and fluid in drills, appearing natural catching the football, opening some eyes with his 40-yard dash. Collier was among the biggest winners from Monday’s Pro Day.” Later in the article he also noted Collier could be seen speaking with “several” NFL Scouts.
Collier’s numbers at his pro day were eye popping to say the least. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash and a 6.78 3-cone, which would rank 8th and 1st than any running back at the NFL Combine this year, respectively.
This performance at the combine seemed to do wonders for Collier’s draft stock, as it seems some teams are interested in signing him as an undrafted free agent. One of the teams interested are the New York Jets.
Coming from the Kyle Shanahan offense, Jets head coach Robert Saleh knows the importance of a good running back, and Collier’s elite athleticism and catching ability would make him a natural fit. The Jets seemingly like Collier so much that they reportedly may even consider taking him with their 7th round pick.
Going back home to New York would be a “dream come true,” according to Collier, who seemed overjoyed at the opportunity to rep Gang Green. Some other teams that would make sense are the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Arizona Cardinals.
If Collier does make the NFL, he would be only the third Bald Eagle ever to do so. The other two being Bret Shugarts and John Eisenhooth, both doing so in 1987.
After his time at Lock Haven officially came to an end, Collier made sure to note how thankful he was for his time at the school.
“I want to direct all honor and praise to the Lord for this past season. I could have never imagined having the season I did without him. My time at Lock Haven has truly been a blessing, and I pray for the future of the Bald Eagles. The future for The Haven is bright.”
There is still a long way to go for Collier to make his NFL dreams a reality, but any team will be hard-pressed to find a harder worker and better person than Lock Haven’s superstar running back.
Ryan States is in his 3rd year at Lock Haven University, and his second with the Eagle Eye. He is a Journalism major with intentions to minor in Sports Management. With his never-ending passion for all things sports, he wishes to pursue a career as a sports writer for a major outlet. When not watching sports, he can be found playing video games, hanging out with friends at the REC. Or you can find him helping out in the booth during LHU sporting events. His biggest hope while at Lock Haven is to be able to positively contribute to LHU sports in any way he can.
