 |
| Image Courtesy/ BamaPreps-IG |
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins still flashes a big smile on his face whenever he thinks about the events that took place on November 9, 2014, in Pinson, Alabama.
“Damn, Sarge, you’re bringing back some good memories,” said Collins exclusively to Big Sarge Media.
What takes the fifth-year wide receiver, drafted by the Texans in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, back down memory lane is the record-breaking 85-50 6A playoff victory his high school, Clay-Chalkville, secured over Scottsboro, setting the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s playoff record with 135 combined points.
Although it was a very high-scoring game between the two teams, when people glance at the box score, they won’t just see Collins’s 183 receiving yards on six catches and two touchdowns; they will also look closely at the stats of current Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, who threw for a school record five touchdowns in the loss.
Wait.
Did I fail to mention that Nix was only in the eighth grade when he accomplished that feat?
Nix was coached by his father, Patrick, who recognized his son’s talent early on and decided that the best way for him to gain game experience was to let him compete against the No. 1-ranked team in Alabama.
“That was my favorite memory,” said Collins about the high-scoring game. “We were going back-to-back. 85 points in a playoff game was amazing.”
With two of the best defenses in the NFL, this Sunday’s game between the Houston Texans and the Denver Broncos won’t produce 135 combined points.
Still, it will highlight the talents of the rematch between Collins and Nix and show how they are just as crucial to their NFL teams as they were in high school.
 |
| Image Courtesy/BamaPreps - IG |
“A young legend,” said Collins exclusively to Big Sarge Media when asked about the talent he saw in a young Bo Nix back in 2014. “His eighth-grade year, he came to Clay-Chalkville; it was a road game for him. First, we put up 85 points in a playoff game. That is kind of crazy, but for him, as an eighth grader, to put up 50 and to go out there and do what he did to excel at a young age, it was crazy.
“We kind of already knew that his journey was going to be special. That dude is special. They know who he is, a special guy back there at quarterback. That dude is special; he has all the tools in the world, and I’m excited to see his journey.”
Collins is returning to the starting lineup after missing the Week 8 game against the San Francisco 49ers due to being placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
The 2024 Pro Bowl wide receiver aims to help the Texans continue their playoff push while working toward his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season.
“You can’t replace Nico Collins,” said quarterback C.J. Stroud in his postgame interview after the win against the 49ers. “He’s a top-five guy in this league. I think he’s one of the best.”