Jamie Collins will end his college career in the same stadium he ended his high school career.
The Franklin County native and Southern Miss senior defensive end/linebacker has been selected to participate in the 2013 Senior Bowl in January.
Collins will join 99 of the country’s other top pro prospects in the yearly North versus South matchup in Mobile, Ala., to showcase their skills in front of NFL scouts from around the nation.
Collins, a 6-foot-5-inch, 245-pound standout, led the Golden Eagles in sacks, tackles for loss and total tackles this year. Collins racked up a Conference USA leading 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss this season, while also recording 92 total tackles, including 66 solo tackles.
“I was hoping I would get invited,” Collins said. “It’s really a blessing to have the chance to play in a game like this.”
Despite Southern Miss going 0-12 this season after a 12-2 campaign in 2011 when the Eagles won the C-USA title, Collins has continued his dominating play.
During his prep career at Franklin County, Collins played quarterback and safety for the Bulldogs. He led the team to the 2006 3A State Championship and finished his career at the Mississippi/Alabama All-Star game in Mobile.
With his invite to the Senior Bowl, Collins becomes the first player from Southern Miss to receive an invitation to the contest since USM tight end Shawn Nelson went in 2009. Before Nelson, the last Eagles to receive the honor were linebacker Michael Boley and offensive lineman Jeremy Parquet, both in 2004.
The Senior Bowl will be held on Jan. 26 in Mobile at 3 p.m. NFL Network will televise the game.
