Richard Collier

Last updated
Richard Collier
No. 76
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1981-10-23) October 23, 1981 (age 41)
Shreveport, Louisiana
Career information
College: Valdosta State
Undrafted: 2006
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-GSC (2005)
Career NFL statistics
Games played:8
Games started:1
Return yards:8
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Richard Bernard Collier (born October 23, 1981) is a former professional American football player. He played offensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) from 2006 to 2008, until a shooting incident left him paralyzed from the waist down, ending his football career.

Contents

Collier played college football for the Valdosta State University Blazers. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006 as an undrafted free agent, and played two seasons for the team. His career was cut short after he suffered multiple gunshot wounds in early September 2008. As a result, he was left paralyzed and with his left leg amputated. [1]

Early life

Collier was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He played football at Northwood High School, where he graduated in 2001. Poor grades prevented him from attending college, and he spent the next two years working in the produce section of a local Wal-Mart. Eventually, he decided to give football and college another try, and enrolled at Tyler Junior College in Texas. There he soon improved both his grades and his physical fitness, and made the Tyler football team's starting lineup. In 2004, he transferred to Valdosta State University in Georgia, where he played for the Valdosta State Blazers football team. The team won the 2004 NCAA Division II Football Championship, and Collier received All-America honors in 2005, his senior year. [2]

Professional career

Following the 2006 NFL Draft, Collier was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent on April 30. He made the final roster following the preseason and went on to play in four games his rookie season, all in a reserve role. He was inactive for the first 12 games of the 2007 season. He was suspended for two games and fined by Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio after being arrested for driving under the influence on November 3. Not wanting to bring additional negative publicity to the team and threaten a potential chance at making the starting lineup, he pleaded no contest to all charges at the subsequent hearing and made a public vow to keep himself out of trouble. [2] He appeared in the team's final four games of the season and made his first career start in the regular season finale against the Houston Texans on December 30.

In May 2008, the Jaguars signed Collier to a contract extension. That season, he played on all four of the Jaguars' preseason games in a reserve role.

Shooting

On September 2, 2008, Collier was shot and critically wounded outside an apartment building in Jacksonville's Riverside neighborhood. Collier was in the passenger seat of a car driven by his former Jacksonville teammate Kenny Pettway at the time of the attack; it was later revealed that he had suffered 14 gunshot wounds and was left paralyzed from the waist down. A blood clot later caused the amputation of his left leg above the knee. [3] Pettway, who had been in the driver's seat, was unharmed. [4]

Earlier in the night Collier and Pettway had been at the Jacksonville nightclub Square One in San Marco, where they met up with two women, as well as fellow Jaguars player Clint Ingram. [4] [5] After midnight Ingram went home and Collier and Pettway drove the women to their apartment in Riverside. They were waiting for them in the car when they were attacked from behind in what some media reports called an "ambush". [5] [6] Two days after the shooting, the Jaguars placed Collier on the non-football injury reserve list. Later that month, when the extent of his injuries were revealed, it was confirmed that his football career was over. [7]

One man, Tyrone Hartsfield, was arrested and charged with attempted murder. [4] The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office believed the shooting was in retaliation for an altercation the two men had had months earlier; Hartsfield had filed a report with the police in April after Collier had punched him in a scuffle at another nightclub. The prosecution's case involved testimony from a friend of Hartsfield's, who said he had been with Hartsfield the night of the shooting and later secretly recorded a conversation with him for the police. Largely on the strength of this testimony the jury found Hartsfield guilty in November 2009; he was subsequently sentenced to life in prison. [5] [8]

Later life

In 2009, one year after the shooting, Collier was unanimously elected to receive the Ed Block Courage Award by his Jacksonville teammates. [9]

In 2010 Collier featured in the documentary film The 904, which discusses Jacksonville's murder rate and the city's attempts to reduce it. [10]

Collier married his long-time girlfriend Chandra Baker in November 2010. With the aid of a prosthetic limb and a specially designed body brace, he was able to stand for the ceremony. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville Jaguars</span> National Football League franchise in Jacksonville, Florida

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South Division. The team plays its home games at TIAA Bank Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Taylor (American football)</span> American football player (born 1976)

Frederick Antwon Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and he was recognized as an All-American. Taylor was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, and he played for the Jaguars and New England Patriots of the NFL. Taylor is a member of the 10,000 yard rushing club; his 4.6 yards per carry is sixth highest among members of the club in history.

Don Bosco Anthony Boselli Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football for the USC Trojans, earning three first-team All-American selections. Boselli was the first player drafted by the Jaguars, who selected him second overall in the 1995 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TIAA Bank Field</span> American football stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.

TIAA Bank Field is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, that primarily serves as the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) and the headquarters of the professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Stroud</span> American football player (born 1978)

Marcus LaVar Stroud is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 13th overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. He was a member of the NFL's Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donovin Darius</span> American football player (born 1975)

Donovin Lee Darius is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 25th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, and played for nine seasons with the team. He played for the Miami Dolphins in 2007. He played college football at Syracuse.

Kenneth Aaron Pettway is a former American gridiron football player. He played in the National Football League and the American Football League from 2005 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Brady</span> American football player (born 1972)

Kyle James Brady is a former professional American football player. He played tight end for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. He was the Jets' first round draft choice in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State.

Michael Wayne Pearson is an American former college and professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL) for five seasons. Pearson played college football for the University of Florida, and earned consensus All-American honors. A second-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.

Charles J. Spencer, Jr. is a former American football offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Smolko</span> American football player (born 1983)

Isaac Joseph Smolko is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Penn State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tra Thomas</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

William "Tra" Thomas III is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive line coach for IMG Academy. He played as an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Philadelphia Eagles. Thomas played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He was selected by the Eagles with the 11th overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played for the Eagles for 11 seasons, from 1998–2008.

Jeff Ladd Novak is a former American football offensive lineman who played professionally in the World League of American Football (WLAF) and the National Football League (NFL). Novak was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and grew up in Clear Lake City outside Houston, Texas. He went to Clear Lake High School and he graduated from Texas State University in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season</span> 14th season in franchise history

The 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the franchise's 14th season in the National Football League and the 6th under head coach Jack Del Rio. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 11–5 record from 2007 and did not make the playoffs. The Jaguars struggled to a 5–11 finish, the franchise's worst record since 2003. The team's struggles were in part the result of a rash of injuries to the team's offensive line. The Jaguars lost starting guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams for the season within the first quarter of the opening game. Tackle Richard Collier's career ended in early September when he was brutally attacked and shot 14 times. Center Brad Meester missed the first two months of the season and guard Chris Naeole, signed to the roster mid-season in response to these injuries, was injured in pregame warmups before playing a single snap. Against teams with smaller defensive linemen, the 2008 Jaguars offense resembled the 2007 offense because the line was able to dominate. An example is the 23–21 victory in Indianapolis against the Colts that saw David Garrard drive the Jaguars into field goal range in the final minute, culminating with Josh Scobee booting the game-winning 51-yard field goal. However, the Jaguars overall struggled, especially in the second half of the season, as evidenced by a 19–21 loss to the Bengals, who entered the game with an 0–8 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valdosta State Blazers football</span>

The Valdosta State football team represents Valdosta State University in football. The Blazers are a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) in NCAA Division II. Valdosta State University has had a football team since 1981. The Blazers play in Bazemore–Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia, which has a capacity of 11,249. The stadium is also the home of the historical Valdosta High School Wildcats. The Blazers have won a total of four Division II National Championship titles.

Jacksonville is home to a number of professional sports teams, and the city has a long history of athletics. The Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) compete at the major league level. Additionally, the PGA Tour is headquartered in the suburb of Ponte Vedra Beach, where it hosts The Players Championship every year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohamed Massaquoi</span> American football player (born 1986)

Mohamed Jah Massaquoi is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Georgia and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eben Britton</span> American football player (born 1987)

Eben Britton is a former American football offensive tackle who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Selected 39th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, he spent four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars followed by two with the Chicago Bears, last playing football in 2014. Britton started 23 games at right tackle, 7 at left guard, and 4 as a sixth eligible lineman, for a total of 34 career starts in 60 games played. He played college football at Arizona.

Telvin Trishaun Smith Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Smith played his entire professional career with the Jaguars, earning second-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection in 2017. He retired after the 2018 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rashad Greene</span> American gridiron football player (born 1992)

Rashad Greene Sr. is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

References

  1. ↑ "Doctors: Jaguars tackle Collier is paralyzed and had leg amputated." CNN Sports Illustrated . September 29, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "Jacksonville Jaguars Player Critical After Shooting". Foxnews.com. Associated Press. September 30, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Doctors: Shot Jacksonville lineman is paralyzed". Associated Press. Associated Press. 2008-09-29. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  4. 1 2 3 Crouse, Karen (December 12, 2008). "Paralyzed, Jaguars' Collier Is Still Smiling". The New York Times . Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Pinkham, Paul (October 29, 2009). "Key witness testifies Tyrone Hartsfield got his revenge in ex-Jaguars player Richard Collier's shooting". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  6. ↑ Pinkham, Paul (November 5, 2009). "Tyrone Hartsfield found guilty of shooting Jaguar Richard Collier". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Surgeon: Collier Paralyzed, Loses Left Leg". news4jax.com. September 29, 2008. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  8. ↑ Pinkham, Paul (December 17, 2009). "Tyrone Hartsfield gets life in shooting of Jaguars' Collier". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Charlie Patton (November 21, 2009). "Jaguars' Collier shares his feelings with those like him". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  10. ↑ Mitchell, Tia (December 17, 2009). "Jacksonville movie about murders leaves some shaken". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  11. ↑ Jim Henry (November 16, 2010). "Ex-Jaguar Richard Collier Makes Most Important Stand". nfl.fanhouse.com. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.