Post by debbiefischer on Aug 4, 2011 21:43:37 GMT -5
For any of you who helped make the McAfee Commercial last September, you may remember Andy Collins. He came out with my daughter, Katie's, boyfriend and helped us. He was so interested in playing for us and was planning on coming out but then he got word that he was being signed by the Spokane Shock. He also starred in a commercial for Verizon where he played Drew Brees. THe beginning of the commercial was Drew but the action on the field was Andy. At any rate, it is sad to say, that Andy passed away Monday at the age of 27. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers, especially his wife Brooke who exchanged vows with him a short 10 days prior to his passing.
This was an article written in the LA Times about him:
Andy Collins dies at 27; former Occidental College quarterback
The L.A. school never lost a game in which Andy Collins started. He was a three-time Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference offensive player of the year.
Email
print
increase text size decrease text size
Share
Comments
8
Andy Collins | 1983-2011
Former Occidental College quarterback Andy Collins led the Division III Tigers to three straight conference championships before having a short career in the National Football League. (Kirby Lee / Occidental College)
Also
Notable sports deaths of 2011 Photos: Notable sports deaths of 2011
Notable deaths of 2011 Photos: Notable deaths of 2011
By Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times
August 4, 2011, 7:28 a.m.
Former Occidental College quarterback Andy Collins, a three-time Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference offensive player of the year, has died of an apparent heart attack. He was 27.
Collins died Tuesday at Imperial Point Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., according to the Broward County medical examiner's office. The cause of death is pending an investigation, although Collins reportedly had been working out on a treadmill just before his death.
Ten days earlier, he had married Brooke Olzendam, a college football reporter for CBS.
A transfer from the University of Oregon, Collins played at Occidental in Los Angeles from 2004 to 2006 and had an immediate effect. In fact, the Tigers never lost a regular-season game in which he started, going 27-0 over that span.
After his senior season, Collins represented the United States in the Aztec Bowl, an annual all-star game against the best players in Mexico. He threw for a touchdown, caught another and was named the game's most valuable player.
"He was spectacular," said Occidental Coach Dale Widolff. "He was clearly the best player to play for us in the 30 years I've been here. No one was even close."
Collins, who was born Oct. 20, 1983, in Zillah, Wash., had a brief tryout with the New York Giants, and later played in the Arena Football League, including stints with the Los Angeles Avengers and Colorado Crush.
Last season, he started for the Tri-Cities Fever of the Indoor Football League until his season was cut short by a shoulder injury.
Widolff said Collins had "incredible integrity" and a work ethic that set him apart.
"He was the kind of guy," Widolff said, "that when you walked into a weight room, a locker room, a meeting room, you immediately knew who the best player in there was."
Besides his wife, Collins is survived by his parents; two brothers; a sister; and his grandparents.
sam.farmer@latimes.com
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
This was an article written in the LA Times about him:
Andy Collins dies at 27; former Occidental College quarterback
The L.A. school never lost a game in which Andy Collins started. He was a three-time Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference offensive player of the year.
increase text size decrease text size
Share
Comments
8
Andy Collins | 1983-2011
Former Occidental College quarterback Andy Collins led the Division III Tigers to three straight conference championships before having a short career in the National Football League. (Kirby Lee / Occidental College)
Also
Notable sports deaths of 2011 Photos: Notable sports deaths of 2011
Notable deaths of 2011 Photos: Notable deaths of 2011
By Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times
August 4, 2011, 7:28 a.m.
Former Occidental College quarterback Andy Collins, a three-time Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference offensive player of the year, has died of an apparent heart attack. He was 27.
Collins died Tuesday at Imperial Point Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., according to the Broward County medical examiner's office. The cause of death is pending an investigation, although Collins reportedly had been working out on a treadmill just before his death.
Ten days earlier, he had married Brooke Olzendam, a college football reporter for CBS.
A transfer from the University of Oregon, Collins played at Occidental in Los Angeles from 2004 to 2006 and had an immediate effect. In fact, the Tigers never lost a regular-season game in which he started, going 27-0 over that span.
After his senior season, Collins represented the United States in the Aztec Bowl, an annual all-star game against the best players in Mexico. He threw for a touchdown, caught another and was named the game's most valuable player.
"He was spectacular," said Occidental Coach Dale Widolff. "He was clearly the best player to play for us in the 30 years I've been here. No one was even close."
Collins, who was born Oct. 20, 1983, in Zillah, Wash., had a brief tryout with the New York Giants, and later played in the Arena Football League, including stints with the Los Angeles Avengers and Colorado Crush.
Last season, he started for the Tri-Cities Fever of the Indoor Football League until his season was cut short by a shoulder injury.
Widolff said Collins had "incredible integrity" and a work ethic that set him apart.
"He was the kind of guy," Widolff said, "that when you walked into a weight room, a locker room, a meeting room, you immediately knew who the best player in there was."
Besides his wife, Collins is survived by his parents; two brothers; a sister; and his grandparents.
sam.farmer@latimes.com
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times