Gary Collins

Who is Gary Collins?

Gary James Collins is a retired American football end and punter who played for the Cleveland Browns from 1962 to 1971.

Born in Williamstown, Pennsylvania, Collins attended Williamstown High School. and was recruited by the University of Maryland. During his three seasons with the Terrapins, he established a number of new school benchmarks, and left his mark on the Atlantic Coast Conference record book as well. In 1961, he finished eighth in number of votes for the Heisman Trophy.

The Browns chose Collins with the fourth draft pick in 1962 and immediately made him the starting punter, while also using him as a reserve for veteran receiver Ray Renfro. In 1963, he moved into the starting lineup and led the team with 43 receptions and teamed with quarterback Frank Ryan to pace the league with 13 touchdowns catches. The latter mark broke a team record of nine, established by Dante Lavelli in 1947.

The following year, rookie Paul Warfield became Ryan's top receiver, but Collins developed a knack for coming through in the clutch. The first instance came in the season's second game, when he caught a fourth down pass from Ryan to set up a go-ahead touchdown against the St. Louis Cardinals. Saving the best for last, Collins sparkled in the 1964 NFL championship game, when he was on the receiving end of three touchdown passes from Ryan and won the game's Most Valuable Player award in the 27-0 upset over the Baltimore Colts.