Wikipedia

Zaven Collins

Zaven Collins (born May 19, 1999) is an American professional football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tulsa, where he was named a unanimous All-American and won several defensive player of the year awards in 2020. Collins was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Zaven Collins
refer to caption
Collins with Tulsa in 2020
No. 25 – Arizona Cardinals
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1999-05-19) May 19, 1999 (age 25)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school:Hominy (Hominy, Oklahoma)
College:Tulsa (2017–2020)
NFL draft:2021 / round: 1 / pick: 16
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2024
Total tackles:203
Sacks:8.5
Pass deflections:12
Interceptions:2
Forced fumbles:1
Fumble recoveries:1
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Collins was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 19, 1999, and later attended Hominy High School in Hominy, Oklahoma.[1][2] He played quarterback, linebacker and safety in high school. During his career, he had 4,084 rushing yards with 54 touchdowns and passed for 3,056 yards and 32 touchdowns. He committed to the University of Tulsa to play college football.

College career

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After redshirting his first year at Tulsa in 2017, Collins played in 12 games and started 10 in 2018. He had 85 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception.[3] As a sophomore in 2019, he started all 12 games, recording 97 tackles and two sacks.[4] Collins returned to Tulsa in 2020, where he was awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's best defensive player,[5][6][7][8] as well as the Lombardi Award.[9]

College statistics

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Total Solo Ast Sack PD Int Yds TD FF FR TD
2017 Tulsa 0 0 DNP
2018 Tulsa 12 10 85 42 43 1.5 3 1 0 0 1 1 0
2019 Tulsa 12 12 97 51 46 2.0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0
2020 Tulsa 8 8 53 35 18 4.0 2 4 152 2 1 1 0
Career 32 30 235 128 107 7.5 8 5 152 2 2 3 0

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4+7⁄8 in
(1.95 m) 		259 lb
(117 kg) 		33+5⁄8 in
(0.85 m) 		9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.65 s 1.63 s 2.78 s 4.36 s 35 in
(0.89 m)		 10 ft 2 in
(3.10 m)		 19 reps
All values from NFL draft[10][11][12]

Collins was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round (16th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft.[13] He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $14 million, on June 8, 2021.[14]

Collins entered his rookie season in 2021 as a starting inside linebacker alongside Jordan Hicks and Isaiah Simmons. He was relegated to a backup role midway through the season, playing the third-most snaps of the inside linebackers. He finished the season with 25 tackles and three passes defensed through 17 games and six starts.[15]

In Week 9 of the 2022 season, Collins had a 30-yard interception returned for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks.[16] In the 2022 season, he appeared in 16 games and finished with 100 total tackles (63 solo), one interception, six passes defended, and one forced fumble.[17]

On April 30, 2024, the Cardinals declined the fifth-year option on Collins' contract, making him a free agent after the 2024 season.[18] On August 3, 2024, Collins and the Cardinals agreed to a two–year, $14 million contract extension.[19]

NFL career statistics

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Total Solo Ast Sck Sfty PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR TD
2021 ARI 17 6 25 13 12 0.0 0 3 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
2022 ARI 16 16 100 63 37 2.0 0 6 1 30 30.0 30 1 1 0 0
2023 ARI 17 17 41 27 14 3.5 0 3 1 1 1.0 1 0 0 1 0
2024 ARI 2 2 11 6 5 1.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 52 41 177 109 68 6.5 0 12 2 31 15.5 30 1 1 1 0

Personal

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Collins was arrested in Arizona for speeding and reckless driving in June 2021; he was released from custody within an hour.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Hines, Kelly (April 29, 2021). "'Stay your path': How TU's Zaven Collins developed from an under-the-radar recruit into one of the best players in college football". Tulsa World. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Buettner, Joe (January 8, 2017). "All State football: Zaven Collins does it all for state champion Hominy". Oklahoman.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  3. ^ Hines, Kelly (November 14, 2018). "Zaven Collins goes from under the radar in Hominy to standout linebacker at TU". Tulsa World. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Hines, Kelly (August 25, 2020). "TU linebacker Zaven Collins combining skill and effort in pursuit of dominance". Tulsa World. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  5. ^ "Zaven Collins Wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". University of Tulsa Athletics. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  6. ^ Hines, Kelly (January 7, 2021). "TU linebacker Zaven Collins wins Bednarik Award as nation's top defensive player". Tulsa World. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  7. ^ Haisten, Bill (November 17, 2020). "For the surging Golden Hurricane, a special player and a special coordinator". Tulsa World. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Allen, Robert (September 17, 2020). "Player to be Aware of: Tulsa Linebacker Zaven Collins". SI.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  9. ^ Thompson, Nathan (February 17, 2021). "TU's Zaven Collins wins Lombardi Award". Fox23. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  10. ^ "NFL Draft Prospect Profile - Zaven Collins". nfl.com. March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  11. ^ "Tulsa OLB Zaven Collins : 2021 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". NFLDraftScout.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  12. ^ "Zaven Collins 2021 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Urban, Darren (April 29, 2021). "Cardinals Pick Zaven Collins in First Round Of 2021 Draft". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  14. ^ Urban, Darren (June 8, 2021). "Top Cardinals Pick Zaven Collins Signs First NFL Contract". AZCardinals.com. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  15. ^ "Zaven Collins 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  16. ^ Werner, Barry (November 6, 2022). "Zaven Collins pick-six gives Cardinals the lead over Seahawks". Touchdown Wire. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Zaven Collins 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  18. ^ Urban, Darren (April 30, 2024). "Cardinals Decline To Pick Up Zaven Collins Option". AZCardinals.com.
  19. ^ Urban, Darren (August 3, 2024). "Zaven Collins Gets Contract Extension Through 2026". AZCardinals.com.
  20. ^ Weinfuss, Josh (June 21, 2021). "Arizona Cardinals rookie LB Zaven Collins arrested for excessive speed, reckless driving". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
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