By Greg A. Bedard of the Journal Sentinel
May. 28, 2009 9:32 a.m.

Green Bay - Willie James Collins Sr., the father of Packers safety Nick Collins, passed away on May 16 after a long battle with cancer.

It was the serious family issue Collins was referring to in comments he made to the Journal Sentinel on May 10.

Collins spent much of the 2007 season worried about this father's health and often flew back and forth to Florida to be with him. Mr. Collins' cancer was thought to be in remission last year.

The former Dixie County (Cross City) High School and Bethune-Cookman College quarterback was buried on Saturday after a celebration of Mr. Collins' life in the high school gymnasium.

Here is a portion of the obituary published in the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun:

COLLINS, WILLIE JAMES SR.

"GRAMP"

Age 56, of Cross City, Florida, a former Quarterback of Dixie County High School and Bethune-Cookman College, a former Policeman of the Cross City Police Dept and Dixie County Sheriff's Department, a former Employee of the Cross City Correctional Institution and the Dept of Agriculture, a former Coach of Pop Warner Football and the Dixie County Little League Baseball, Member of Miracle Deliverance Center Church where he served faithfully until his health began to fail, etc. died Saturday, May 16, 2009 in Cross City at the residence of his Sister, Heddie Johnson.

Yes there is definitely a lesson for all types of media on this one... jumping to conclusions and not respecting a players word when spoken.

It didn't help that his agent came out and talked his slimy agent talk about how even without the issue he won't be there.. when Collins was speaking in an opposite direction..

Sooner or later the media is going to have to be held accountable for some of the things they scribe.

"pack93z" wrote:

Awful, just awful. My thoughts and prayers go out to Nick and his family.

"mi_keys" wrote: