No. 25 – Arizona Cardinals | |||||||||||||||
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Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born: | Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | May 19, 1999||||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||
Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school: | Hominy (Hominy, Oklahoma) | ||||||||||||||
College: | Tulsa (2017–2020) | ||||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16 | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Zaven Collins (born May 19, 1999) is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tulsa, where he was named a unanimous All-American and won several defensive player of the year awards in 2020. Collins was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Collins was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 19, 1999, and later attended Hominy High School in Hominy, Oklahoma. [1] [2] He played quarterback, linebacker and safety in high school. During his career, he had 4,084 rushing yards with 54 touchdowns and passed for 3,056 yards and 32 touchdowns. He committed to the University of Tulsa to play college football.
After redshirting his first year at Tulsa in 2017, Collins played in 12 games and started 10 in 2018. He had 85 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception. [3] As a sophomore in 2019, he started all 12 games, recording 97 tackles and two sacks. [4] Collins returned to Tulsa in 2020, where he was awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's best defensive player, [5] [6] [7] [8] as well as the Lombardi Award. [9]
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||
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GP | GS | Total | Solo | Ast | Sack | PD | Int | Yds | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||
2017 | Tulsa | 0 | 0 | DNP | ||||||||||
2018 | Tulsa | 12 | 10 | 85 | 42 | 43 | 1.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
2019 | Tulsa | 12 | 12 | 97 | 51 | 46 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2020 | Tulsa | 8 | 8 | 53 | 35 | 18 | 4.0 | 2 | 4 | 152 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Career | 32 | 30 | 235 | 128 | 107 | 7.5 | 8 | 5 | 152 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
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6 ft 4+7⁄8 in (1.95 m) | 259 lb (117 kg) | 33+5⁄8 in (0.85 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.65 s | 1.63 s | 2.78 s | 4.36 s | 35 in (0.89 m) | 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) | 19 reps | ||
All values from NFL Draft [10] [11] [12] |
Collins was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round (16th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. [13] He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $14 million, on June 8, 2021. [14]
Collins entered his rookie season in 2021 as a starting inside linebacker alongside Jordan Hicks and Isaiah Simmons. He was relegated to a backup role midway through the season, playing the third-most snaps of the inside linebackers. He finished the season with 25 tackles and three passes defensed through 17 games and six starts. [15]
In Week 9 of the 2022 season, Collins had a 30-yard interception returned for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks. [16] In the 2022 season, he appeared in 16 games and finished with 100 total tackles (63 solo), one interception, six passes defended, and one forced fumble. [17]
On April 30, 2024, the Cardinals declined the fifth-year option on Collins' contract, making him a free agent after the 2024 season. [18]
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
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GP | GS | Total | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | TD | ||
2021 | ARI | 17 | 6 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | ARI | 16 | 16 | 100 | 63 | 37 | 2.0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
2023 | ARI | 7 | 7 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career | 40 | 29 | 140 | 87 | 53 | 5.5 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Collins was arrested in Arizona for speeding and reckless driving in June 2021; he was released from custody within an hour. [19]
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born professional American football fullback and defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL), renowned for his strength and size. Nagurski was also a successful professional wrestler, recognized as a multiple-time World Heavyweight Champion.
Hominy is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,565 at the 2010 census, a 38 percent increase over the figure of 2,584 recorded in 2000.
The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The award is named for Bronko Nagurski, who played football for the University of Minnesota and Chicago Bears, and is presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and FWAA.
Karlos Montez Dansby is an American former football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Auburn Tigers and received All-American recognition. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft, and has also played for the Miami Dolphins, the Cleveland Browns, and the Cincinnati Bengals.
LaMarr Dewayne Woodley is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Michigan, earning unanimous All-American honors. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. In his second season, he won Super Bowl XLIII over the Arizona Cardinals as a member of the Steelers. Woodley also played for the Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders.
Ezekiel Turner is an American football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington as a defensive back and was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft. Turner was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team as a special teamer in the 2018 NFL season.
Jordan Hicks is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he won a Super Bowl ring in 2018, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns.
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