Uncertainty about B1G season led Michigan WR Nico Collins to make 'bittersweet' decision to opt out
Nico Collins was looking forward to returning to the field at Michigan. In March, though, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, things began changing for the Wolverines wide receiver.
With all the uncertainty related to the virus and the B1G’s on-again, off-again drama that kept its coaches and players in limbo, Collins decided to opt out of the 2020 football season.
“Everything was going smooth, just as planned, until this virus outbreak,” Collins said on The Adam Schefter Podcast.
When the B1G postponed the season in August, Collins was disappointed but ready to begin his journey to the NFL. And though the conference was still continuing to consider a return-to-play plan, the receiver said there were just too many question marks to return to the field.
“They canceled the season and that was heartbreaking for me,” Collins said, adding the Big Ten wasn’t certain when a season might be played. “They were saying in the spring, Thanksgiving, it was too many unknown questions to be answering. Nobody really had an answer to it.
“I sat down with my family, and I just made a business decision because I felt like I was in no-man’s land, because I came back to play my senior season it and they canceled it.”
Collins also said that playing a nine games in nine weeks wasn’t an ideal circumstance, and the risk of injury was far too high.
Collins leaves Michigan after totaling 78 catches for 1,388 yards and 13 touchdowns. His departure pushes Ronnie Bell and Giles Jackson into the top two receiver positions for the Wolverines this fall.