Butler says Collins made him proud to share jersey No. 36
When he first was told that a second-round pick from Bethune-Cookman was going to be wearing his jersey just three years after he had retired, Packers safety LeRoy Butler was puzzled.
Voted the strong safety of the decade for the '90s, Butler thought it might be a little bit early to be giving his jersey away. Then he talked with first-year GM Ted Thompson.
"He told me, 'We found the right guy to wear that number; that's Nick Collins,'" Butler said in a phone interview from New York, where he'll announce the Packers' second-round pick on Friday. "And he was right. They found a guy who was able to fill my shoes and he was great on and off the field.
"It's one of my saddest days as a Packers fan that he won't be wearing No. 36 anymore. It would be a good opportunity to retire it or put it away for good."
Collins was released Wednesday after the Packers' brass decided they didn't feel comfortable with him playing following single-level cervical fusion surgery. Collins hasn't decided whether he wants to play yet, but he has been encouraged by how he has felt in his recovery and has expressed a desire to return if the doctors will clear him.
Butler said he understood Collins' desire to play again and said it would be up to him "to look the doctor in the eye and have him tell him that it's safe for him to play." Butler said he faced the same situation after the 2001 season when team physician Patrick McKenzie told him his shoulder was in no condition to play again.
Ultimately, Butler took McKenzie's advice and retired. But he was much older at the time and in the twilight of his career. Collins will turn 29 in August.
As for his feelings about Collins, Butler said he couldn't be prouder to have shared the number with him.
"He wore that number with the most honor," Butler said. "It made me happy that they found someone who could wear that jersey with honor for another eight years, I think Nick will be remembered as part of the long tradition of great safeties the Packers have had over the years.
"You're talking Darren Sharper, Eugene Robinson, Willie Wood, myself. There's always been someone keeping that alive."
As for Collins' future, Butler said he could see Detroit or Chicago giving Collins a chance if their doctors are willing to clear him. But he thinks it will all come down to Collins feeling that it's safe for him to return to the game.
"I'm glad he got to play on a Super Bowl team," Butler said. "He was able to get that ring."
Tom Silverstein wrote: