Zero2Cool
14 years ago
http://www.espnmilwaukee.com/includes/news_items/40/news_items_more.php?id=5567§ion_id=40 

ARLINGTON, Texas Nick Collins looked lonely.

It was Wednesday morning, and Collins, the Green Bay Packers three-time Pro Bowl safety, found himself all alone at a small table inside the restaurant at the Omni Mandalay hotel at Las Colinas, reading USA Today. While the Super Bowl XLV media throng swarmed table after table, there sat Collins, thumbing through the sports section.

I get no respect around here, he said with a big smile. But its OK. Everybody will see me one day.

That day was Sunday.

Collins 37-yard first-quarter pick-six interception return for a touchdown created a tidal wave of momentum that, while the Packers werent able to sustain it through yet another rash of injuries, certainly helped lift them to their 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium.

Collins touchdown, which came 18 seconds after the Packers first touchdown and gave Green Bay a 14-0 lead, was the first of three turnovers the Packers defense forced. The offense turned the other two into touchdowns as well, giving the Packers 21 points off turnovers

All this while his more famous safety counterpart, the NFLs new Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu, was being beaten for a pair of touchdowns by Greg Jennings.

I dont appreciate (being less recognizable than Polamalu), but I accept it, Collins said that Wednesday morning after putting down his newspaper. Like I said before, one day somebody will recognize that Im a three-time Pro Bowler. But its all good. I might need to change my image. I need to do something. But Im me. I love what I do. So Im going to stick to what I know and what Ive had a lot of success doing.

In the Packers scheme, that means playing mostly in coverage and serving as the last line of defense. On his interception, Collins took advantage of defensive end Howard Greens hit on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and claimed the fluttering pass intended for Mike Wallace before weaving his way to the end zone for the score, his fifth career interception return for a touchdown but first since 2008, when he had three in the regular season.

I was able to read Big Ben and got a nice jump on the ball, Collins said. I made a couple cuts to get into the end zone. I was a high-school running back, so I know what to do when the ball is in my hands. I was just reading Bens eyes. When I saw it floating up there, I just wanted to make sure that I caught it.

Collins was just as important the rest of the night, as injuries to Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson (broken collarbone) and nickelback Sam Shields (shoulder) left him in charge of a secondary that was forced to play dime back Jarrett Bush as the No. 2 corner and little-used backup Pat Lee as the nickel along with Pro Bowler Tramon Williams.

Nevertheless, Bush, who delivered a second-quarter interception that the Packers also turned into points, and Lee were able to get the job done, in part because they had Collins directing traffic in the back end. The Packers third takeaway, a fumble forced by Clay Matthews and recovered by Desmond Bishop, led to the teams final touchdown.

Thats been one of the keys to our run in the playoffs, being able to take the ball away, said defensive coordinator Dom Capers, whose team finished its four-game playoff run having forced 11 turnovers while the team gave it away just five times. If you look at the playoffs and you look at these Super Bowl games, the things that affect them the most are the takeaways-giveaways. That had a big impact on this game.

That it did, and it was the relatively anonymous Collins who got it all started. Afterward, he called the interception the highlight of my day and winning the Super Bowl title a dream come true. But maybe itll turn out to be more than that.

On Thursday, inside the same hotel restaurant, Collins was seen at another table as hed been the day before. Only this time, there was a crowd there. Later, when the media session ended, someone mentioned to Collins that his table had looked much busier than it had the day before. Collins just laughed.

That wasnt for me, he said, shaking his head. I was sharing the table with Tramon. Everybody wanted to talk to him.

On Sunday night, though, it was Collins who was the talk of the town.

"Jason Wilde" wrote:


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Fan Shout
Zero2Cool (1h) : Never. But gonna be looking different in few days :D
yooperfan (1h) : Whew, I got it back. I was afraid that I lost this site for good.
Zero2Cool (2h) : Harrisburg Packers
Mucky Tundra (2h) : Yes
Zero2Cool (3h) : No.
dfosterf (3h) : The man carried us a lot of the time
dfosterf (3h) : I think a Kenny Clark tribute is in order
Zero2Cool (11h) : new site, text editor gooder even on phone
beast (12h) : Oh yes, sometimes they make using a cellphone tough. I just wanted to make sure it was the correct article, & thank you for pointing it out.
jdlax (13h) : I can't believe one of my teams went out and wablammo just up and acquired one of the best players in the world overnight
dfosterf (18h) : I do very much appreciate when Beast and others pick up my slack 😊
dfosterf (18h) : I accept Beast's admonishment regarding my failure to link stuff I reference. I simply never learned to link from my cell phone.
beast (18h) : That's not what your she said 😌, she said keep going 😏
Mucky Tundra (21h) : Anything over 4 hours means he needs to get to the hospital
Mucky Tundra (21h) : Someone might want to check on Hafley and make sure his erection has gone down
Zero2Cool (23h) : LaFleur texts "bleep me I cannot sit down"
Zero2Cool (23h) : YouTube has had me last hour or two lol
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : Ugh this trade happened right as my shift started and it's killing me
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Parsons wore 23 in high school.
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Packers just cost Lions more money with Hutchinson too huh
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : That is fair by me.
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : Kenny Clark is the player, 2 1st rnd picks
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : umm... what?
wpr (28-Aug) : I am stunned
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : RICKEY SCOOPS WAS RIGHT AGAIN!!!
Mucky Tundra (28-Aug) : ITS HAPPENING
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : DEAL IS DONE
buckeyepackfan (28-Aug) : MICAH IS COMING TO GREEN BAY!!!!!!!!!
wpr (28-Aug) : Me do-ed it gooderly,
Zero2Cool (28-Aug) : Bahah, I was like WTF why isn't anyone posting on PP.com ... oops no one has permissions
dfosterf (27-Aug) : tell her I reckon
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Micah Robinson cut. Probable PS player tomorrow. Has to call mom back and t
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : New site so much better. Might make switch and deal with it.
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Mecole Hardman to our practice squad
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Nick Nieman from Texans our 5th linebacker. Special teams signing
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Looks like we signed Clayton Tune as QB3
wpr (27-Aug) : TKT people lose their minds over QB3. Point is almost none of them are ready that's why they are on the PS and other teams don't take them.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Unfortunately he doesn't seem ready to be an emergency QB.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : As a Canadian and a follower of Canadian University football. I am rooting for him
dfosterf (27-Aug) : I bet a lot of us will follow the Taylor Elgersma journey with interest. Personally, got a Kurt Warner vibe goin' on. I like him
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Not sure if either will be claimed though.
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Tune or Hooker would make sense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Clayton Tune cut by the Cards? Don't know if that's the guy, we shall see
TheKanataThrilla (27-Aug) : Per Bill Huber, the Packers will not be bringing back Taylor Elgersma or Sean Clifford on the practice squad, so a new third quarterback
Mucky Tundra (27-Aug) : Schefter must have deleted his tweet
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Hopefully Jerry reaches under the seat cushions and ashtrays of his jet and scrapes up the 45 million apr and spares us further nonsense
dfosterf (27-Aug) : Have to admit the PO'd Cowboy fan videos would be fun to watch. Problem with draft picks is half their fanbase barely knows what that is
beast (27-Aug) : I think Cowboys fans are ready to get their pitch forks and burning sticks if Jerry were to trade Micah
dfosterf (27-Aug) : If Jerry traded Micah to GB, here in northern Va. they would have to quick build yet another data center to handle the internet hate traffic
Zero2Cool (27-Aug) : its signing and trades that you don't hear about, other then announced
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