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He didn't play football until his senior year in high school, but just four years later the Texas native has made a name for himself as one of the top left tackle prospects in the 2008 Draft. Read what Collins has to say about his time at Kansas and the draft process
DBD: Tell us about your Pro Day, how did that go?
Collins: It went well. It was the most scouts I have ever seen over here for football. Everybody worked out…my roommate Aqib Talib and I helped our stock a lot. I was getting great feedback from it and I'm very happy.
DBD: Did you guys try to keep track and see how many scouts were out there to see you and how many to see Aqib?
Collins: No, man we weren't worried about that. We were just worried about taking care of business.
DBD: What was your combine experience like?
Collins: Combine was crazy, going to sleep at 11, 11:30 and waking up at about five (AM) everyday. Working out to your best ability…being around the best athletes in a college atmosphere. It was crazy with all the coaches, owners, scouts and bringing your best everyday. I loved every minute of it.
DBD: You have reached some level of success, how do you make sure you keep that fire that brought you from being a lightly recruited defensive lineman to one of the most highly thought of offensive tackles and not feel like you have accomplished everything already?
Collins: For one, I just want to be the best. I love competition…that is the one thing I love about college football and I am really going to love about the NFL. Just the competition, knowing it's a battle, knowing someone is going to be fighting with you 24/7. The fire is going to stay there. I want to go to as many Pro Bowls as I can and know that people know that Anthony Collins is going to be the best tackle out there.
DBD: The Big 12 has top coaches like Stoops and Mack Brown, talk to me a little about Coach Mangino and what he has done.
Collins: Man, everybody knows about Coach Mangino. He might not have been known like that, but he's known now. Coach Mangino is one of the best coaches in the nation. He puts that love on you that makes you want to be better. There is not just one word I can say about him...he made me the person I am today, he made me the mature adult I am today. Basically, everybody who has come through KU since he’s been here is a better person because of him.
DBD: In such a wild year in college football, could you describe how crazy this season was for Kansas nearly going undefeated?
Collins: People say it was a Cinderella year for us, but to us it was not a Cinderella year. We worked hard at 5:30 in the morning like everyone else. Coach Mangino is great, and he brought in a great staff and the recruiting was better. Once he did all that and the work started, games became real easy.
DBD: Who would you say is the toughest guy you had to block this year?
Collins: Nobody really stood out to me that much to tell you the truth.
DBD: How about Chris Ellis of Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl?
Collins: No, that was not hard at all.
DBD: You only played one year of football in high school?
Collins: Yeah one year, I was a basketball player until my senior year. I just went out there with my friends and I'm here now, it's a blessing.
DBD: What made you try out for the team your senior year?
Collins: My friend wanted to go out and do something different, so we played football. Then I decided to play with him.
DBD: I'm assuming you’re still a big hoops fan right?
Collins: Oh yeah I love hoops. I'll be at all the games this week cheering on my KU women's and men's team.
DBD: You have any predictions for the tournament…can KU go Final Four?
Collins: Man, KU is going to win it all. That's not a prediction…it's going to happen.
DBD: Where are you going to be on draft day, watching it with family?
Collins: No man, I'm going to be somewhere shooting some pool. I'm not going to be watching the draft, I just want my name to be called and get it over with.
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