Chris Collier

Early life

Collier was born on March 24, 2000, and grew up in Lawrence, Nassau County, New York. He started playing football at age six and attended Lawrence High School where he played running back. As a senior, he helped Lawrence compile a record of 10–2 while running for over 1,800 yards and 25 touchdowns. However, he received little attention as a college recruit due to having suffered a knee injury the year prior, which caused most schools to lose interest. He enrolled at Nassau Community College to play college football.

College career

Collier saw limited playing time in his two seasons with Nassau, where he was a fourth-string running back. He totaled 78 rushing yards as a freshman in 2018 and 270 rushing yards with a touchdown in 2019; he also caught five receiving touchdowns in 2019. In 16 total games played for Nassau, he ran for 348 yards, had 184 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns.

Collier had an offer to continue his college football career with the NCAA Division I FCS Wagner Seahawks and transferred there in 2020. He ran for 83 yards in two games during the COVID-19-shortened spring 2021 season and ran for 168 yards in six games during the fall 2021 season. However, he battled concussions early during his time at Wagner, at one point having sustained three in a six-game span. He ran for 86 yards in three games during the 2022 season and then transferred to the NCAA Division II Lock Haven Bald Eagles for the 2023 season.

Collier had a breakout season with the Bald Eagles in 2023, playing 11 games while running for 1,393 yards and 12 touchdowns and recording 22 receptions for 238 yards and three touchdowns. He helped Lock Haven to its best season since 1982 and broke the school's all-time single-season rushing yards record, receiving numerous honors including being a nominee for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best player in the NCAA Division II. He was a three-time conference player of the week and was named first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), first-team Division II All-American, D2CCA second-team All-Region, to the DII Elite 100 team and was named the PSAC Offensive Player of the Year.