Richard Collier got a taste of the upper levels of college football this weekend.
But it wasn’t the on-the-field competition that was different, it was the surf and sand of Hawaii in the Hula Bowl Saturday.
The Valdosta State offensive tackle played in a primarily Division I All-star game in Honolulu.
“The experience was great,” Collier said. “I saw a lot of stuff I never saw before.”
One of the things that Collier said he has seen before is the level of talent.
While Valdosta State doesn’t compete against Georgia, Texas and Notre Dame, some of the talent in Division II can still compare.
“I thought it would be a lot faster, but it’s no different,” Collier said. “Me going against (VSU defensive ends) Tim Thomas and Dedrick Morrison every day is no different than going against those guys. They’re just a little bigger.
“As far as intensity, I know a lot of guys in D2 that can roll with D1 guys.”
Collier tried to use the Hula Bowl to show that he can roll with Division I players and hold his own in the NFL.
The players started practicing in Honolulu on Monday as scouts from the NFL kept a close eye on practices through Thursday.
Collier, a 6-foot-97 350 pound lineman, received good feedback from several scouts.
“I talked to a few scouts,” Collier said. “A lot of teams like me.”
Collier was told to work on staying lower, an issue that he recognized on his own before heading to Hawaii.
“Me being tall is going to be an issue,” Collier said. “I’m working on my leg strength though.”
Collier was given a more positive message while talking to a scout from the Chicago Bears.
“He said pretty much that the sky’s the limit,” Collier said. “One scout said I’ll go as far as I want.”
Collier was pleased with his performance during practices throughout the week and in the game, where he didn’t have any pressures or sacks but a couple of knockdowns.
“I had a few knockdowns, and I did pretty good on my run blocking,” Collier said. “That was something I wanted to improve and work on. I thought I did a lot better on that.”
While Collier’s teammates and opposition weren’t any faster than he thought they would be, they were more friendly.
“I was going over there and I thought those guys had big egos, but everybody was real cool real and down to earth. It really stood out to me how good their attitudes were.
“I made a couple of good friends down there.”
Collier will now spend his time leading up to the NFL draft by participating in Valdosta State’s pro day and waiting to see if he will receive invitations from the pro day in Athens and the NFL draft combine.
“Right now I’m just back to training,” Collier said “I just plan on doing good in pro days.”
Local Sports
Collier dances the hula
Division I competition not that much different for Collier
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