[ad_1]
The photo occupies a prominent place in what Keri Collins calls the “little man’s cave” in his home in Nashville, Tenn.
“I got it front and center, I bet,” Collins told The Post on Tuesday.
It’s a famous shot, The Collins Treasures, that reveals a career milestone – his greatest moment in the NFL. He’s grinning, from ear to ear, as is his head coach, Jim Vassell. Together they are on the field at the old Giants Stadium, on the night of January 14, 2001, as they triumph as quarterback and coach after the Giants crushed the Vikings 41-0 in the NFC Championship. Collins had thrown five touchdown passes, and he and Vassell were having fun in the twilight.
All these years later, Collins recalled that joy amidst the sadness he felt upon hearing Vassil on Monday night died at the age of 71 after suffering a heart attack near his Las Vegas home.
Keri Collins and Jim Vassell with The Giants in 2002, Anthony Cousy
“I remember talking to him right after the game, and there was just this mutual appreciation of, hey, we did,” Collins said. “He’d tell me, ‘People come into each other’s lives at the right time. He would say, ‘I needed a midfielder, I needed a chance’, and it couldn’t get any better. It was the culmination of everything. It was a special moment with him.
Collins came home late Monday night after taking his 17-year-old daughter Riley to a tennis tournament in Mobile, Ala. He woke up the next morning to learn that his greatest fan in the NFL had died unexpectedly.
“What a terrible news,” Collins said. “Just awful. Jim and I got on really great. Nobody has done me more than Jim Vasell in my career. I owe him a huge debt and a huge amount of gratitude for giving me the opportunity to come to the Giants and revive my career. It’s really sad, it’s just a very sad day For me. ”
Collins was a strong producer for Pennsylvania, finishing fifth overall by the Expansion Panthers in the 1995 NFL Draft. By 1999, he had caught up in the Carolinas and New Orleans and needed a fresh start to football. The Giants gave it to him, and he quickly led them to the Super Bowl.
A former quarterback and considered a mentor in the position training, Fassel proved to be exactly what Collins needed. Vasyl’s Greatest Fix: He modified Collins’ pocket fall, making his hands and arms more active to help him flow in his throws. Mentally, Vasyl did not try to rebuild everything in Collins’ head. Tell him if he can eliminate 20 percent of really bad plays, it will result in the required proficiency.
Keri Collins credits Jim Vassell with saving his career
Collins and Fassel left the Giants after the 2003 season, but the two have remained in close contact. Whenever there was a milestone in his life, Collins expected and got a call from his former head coach. When Collins’ career with the Titans was revived, Vasyl made sure to check in and congratulate his former player. When Collins was inducted in 2018 into the College Football Hall of Fame, Vasell reached out, referring to him.
Collins, 48, said, “I’ve always thought of him as a friend.
“Ex-midfielders kind of have this, it’s something different. That was special for us. The fact that he liked the quarterbacks, he was the quarterback, he knew how to think. I’m sure maybe I had a different bond than a lot of guys with Jim , on so many different levels. These are just fond memories that I will always treasure.”
.
[ad_2]
Picture Credit!