With football being a passion, and “more than just a sport,” senior Robert Collins has been playing football since his freshman year. His love for the sport carries out through his family, a builds connections among others. “Football is more than a sport it is a lifestyle. I grew up playing football like my father and his father. Football has been in my family for ages. It also gives me a strong connection to those who can relate because there is a bond that is built up over the years. So to me football is connection among brothers who you will never forget and can't live without.” Collins notes the connection he’s assembled with his team, and how his relationship has grown since he started playing with them. “We have all got so much closer over the years. Everyone has their fights but that's just what a family does. We all love one another at the end of the day and would play our hearts out for one another.”
With his best friend Miguel Ortega playing football alongside of him, Collins has been able to develop a stronger bond with him, as the sport brings them closer together. “My best friend Miguel Ortega who has been a brother to me since before football and it has only made us grow closer. We push each other through those boring days at practice and always clowning around.”
Although Collins has his last year playing football, he will continue to remember the fun and unforgettable memories football has brought him. “My favorite memory has to be my first and only touchdown freshman year. It was against Everett and we had ended up losing the game by two points so since then anger and revenge has been built up. Then senior year comes and not only do I get the chance to score on Everett again but I got the chance to celebrate an unbelievable victory with my brothers who worked just as hard to come out with a win.” Collins expresses how when he was a freshman, his only goals were to graduate and go to college, but as the years went on, he realized his potential in sports. “I am currently accomplishing my goals: to play division 1 and give everything my all until there is no more to give.”
