Alex Collins, former Ravens running back, dies in motorcycle crash
Former NFL running back Alex Collins died Sunday night of injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash in South Florida. He was 28.
“With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of Alex Collins,” the Baltimore Ravens, for whom Collins played in 2017 and 2018, said in a statement. “Always quick to greet everyone with a smile, he was a genuinely kind person who carried a special joy and passion wherever he went. May Alex always be remembered for the light and love he brought to so many people in his life.”
According to a Broward County Sheriff’s Office report, Collins was traveling on his 2004 Suzuki GSX-R600K motorcycle eastbound on West Oakland Park Boulevard in Lauderdale Lakes at approximately 10:20 p.m. Sunday. A woman, unidentified in the report, was driving her Chevrolet SUV in the opposite direction and turned into Collins’s path to head south on Northwest 33rd Avenue.
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“As the car crossed the eastbound lanes, the motorcycle struck the rear passenger side of the SUV. The impact caused the motorcyclist to enter the rear passenger side window of the Chevrolet and come to a final rest inside the car,” the report reads.
Collins was pronounced dead on the scene. The crash investigation is ongoing.
The Seattle Seahawks selected Collins in the fifth round of the 2016 draft after a standout career at Arkansas. He spent one season as a reserve in Seattle before being released and joining the Ravens. Collins had his most productive NFL season in 2017 with Baltimore, starting 12 games and rushing for a team-high 973 yards and six touchdowns. But a foot injury derailed his 2018 campaign, and Baltimore released Collins in March 2019 following his arrest on drug and handgun charges after he crashed his car near the Ravens’ training facility.
The NFL suspended Collins for three weeks in November 2019, though he was out of the league entirely that year. In 2020, the Seahawks signed him, and he would play in Seattle the next two seasons, starting six games and rushing for 411 yards and two scores in 2021. Collins’s last on-field action took place this year with the USFL’s Memphis Showboats.
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“Alex was cherished by his family and friends as well as supporters from all around the world,” Collins’s family said in a statement released by the Seahawks. “All who truly know him can attest to his drive, determination, and larger-than-life personality. We kindly request your thoughts and prayers for our family during this difficult time. We ask for privacy as we navigate through our grief. We will provide updates regarding funeral arrangements as they become available.”
Said John Schneider, Seattle’s general manager: “Alex’s infectious smile and classic river dance skills will forever be missed. Alex would light up a room and was beloved by our entire building. He enjoyed life and attacked it on the football field.”
Collins’s former teammates posted remembrances of him on Twitter, including ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III, who shared a video of Collins’s river-dancing skills:
Alex Collins was so special man. Amazing teammate and a guy everyone was down to kick it with. This man invited me and wifey out one time in Baltimore and I will never forget it. We show up to the spot and AC is no where to be found. We are looking around for him for 20 min and… pic.twitter.com/zNLjxk5vRh
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 15, 2023During his best NFL season in 2017, Collins became noted for his Irish-style touchdown celebration, which he said he learned from the daughter of his high school football coach. Collins said the dancing helped him build up his leg muscles because he was always on his toes, and one offseason he traveled to Ireland to learn more.
In 2018, he took the stage at an NFL talent show with dancers from Cleary Irish Dance, performing a number to Ed Sheeran’s “Galway Girl.” He also publicly supported a boy who had been bullied for learning Irish dancing.
Never forget when Alex Collins took the time to meet Carl Tubbs, a 7th grader who was bullied for being a boy learning Irish dancing.
Alex Collins practiced Irish dancing to help with his footwork in the NFL. Alex motivated Carl to continue practicing dancing. A great guy 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/ONHkp2tS61
— The Ravens Realm (@RealmRavens) August 15, 2023ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGeAcHyXaGhuZ5Ghsrl5wqijpaGeqHqltcSsZg%3D%3D