SASKATOON — The Eternal Colonel hopes to enjoy a long stay in Saskatchewan.
Payton Collins, who started 56 consecutive college games with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, has turned his focus toward becoming a mainstay on the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offensive line.
“He has been excellent,” Head Coach Corey Mace said on Tuesday at Griffiths Stadium, “and he’s an excellent human being.
“His college tape was outstanding. He’s a massive, massive man who can move pretty well, too.”
CFL veterans Trevon Tate (left tackle) and Jermarcus Hardrick (right side) have been lining up with the first-team unit during Coors Light Training Camp.
“The young group of tackles behind the guys who we have etched out as the ‘ones’ are excellent,” Mace noted, “so I’ve been very pleased with Payton.”
The 6-foot-7, 301-pounder signed with Saskatchewan on May 2nd, shortly after the NFL Draft.
“I was at the Hula Bowl in January and (Assistant General Manager) Kyle Carson was there doing some scouting,” Collins, 24, recalled of his time in Orlando, Fla. “I guess he saw me there.
“During the NFL Draft weekend, I didn’t have any teams reach out or anything like that. Kyle texted me on the Saturday night, right after the Draft, and asked for my agent’s number.
“We just talked from there and the rest is history. I decided to come up here and it was a great decision.”
Collins played at Eastern Kentucky from 2019 to 2024 after excelling in football and basketball at Bishop Hartley High School in his native Columbus, Ohio.
“I like to say I was a pretty good basketball player as well,” he said. “There was one point in time when I was deciding between football and basketball.
“At that time, I wasn’t even an offensive lineman yet. I was still super skinny — playing tight end, linebacker and stuff, and also playing basketball. Then I decided to put a little weight on and pursue offensive line in my football career.”
In so doing, Collins maintained a family tradition. His grandfather (Gerald) and father (Mark) were offensive linemen with the University of Oklahoma Sooners and Cornell University Big Red, respectively.
Fittingly, Collins’ nickname with the Roughriders is Big Red — a reference to his size and hair colour.
Collins graduated from Eastern Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree (in General Business) and an MBA (Master of Business Administration).
“Education is huge in my family,” he said, “and I had the opportunity to play a sixth year of college football (due to eligibility extensions granted to players whose teams were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic) and to get an MBA for free (as part of a scholarship).
“That was a no-brainer. (The MBA) is going to be huge for me later in life, whenever football is over.
“I just try to have a plan for when football is over, because you can’t play forever.”
But you can be remembered forever — as an Eternal Colonel.
The label is applicable to graduates of the Eastern Kentucky University athletic program who have distinguished themselves during and/or after their time with the Colonels.
That is in adherence to one of the program’s mantras: “You can go anywhere for college and play for four years, or you can go to EKU and be a Colonel for life.”
Collins is proud to be a part of that select group.
“My name is going to be on the wall forever at Eastern Kentucky and no one can take it down or anything like that,” he said.
“Long after I’m gone, it’ll still say ‘Payton Collins at Eastern Kentucky,’ which means a lot to me.”
TALL TALES
Forty-three players who are at least 6-foot-7 have tried out or played for the Roughriders throughout the team’s history.
The list includes Collins and two other 6-foot-7 offensive linemen — Noah Zerr and Brandon Kemp — who are currently with the Green and White.
Zerr is among 17 people who have played in at least one regular-season game for Saskatchewan while standing 6-foot-7 or taller.
Matthew O’Donnell is the tallest player whose rights have been owned by Saskatchewan. The 6-foot-11 offensive lineman was selected by the Roughriders in the second round (15th overall) of the 2011 CFL Draft.
O’Donnell was with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals in 2011 and for part of the following season. On Sept. 5, 2012, the Roughriders traded his rights to Edmonton.
The tallest player to try out for the Roughriders is 6-foot-9 offensive lineman Carl Slipetz, who attended training camp in 1984 after being drafted in the eighth round.
Saskatchewan has signed 10 6-foot-8 players, five of whom have dressed for at least one game — offensive linemen Thaddeus Coleman (71 games, 2016 to 2019) and Peter Shorts (eight games in 1995; two in 1996), defensive lineman Lubo Zizakovic (two games, 1995), offensive lineman Brad Fawcett (one game, 1982) and defensive lineman Tony Criswell (one game, 2018).
Collins, Kemp and Zerr are among 40 6-foot-7 players who have signed with Saskatchewan and 32 who have taken part in at least one practice or training-camp workout.
Zerr, whose re-signing was announced by the Roughriders on Tuesday, is one of 12 6-foot-7 roster players in franchise history.
HIGHLIGHT REEL
Mace singled out quarterbacks Trevor Harris, Jake Maier, Jack Coan and Tommy Stevens for strong performances in general during camp.
“They’ve all had some really good throws — some tight ones,” the Roughriders’ Head Coach said. “On some, they’ve put the ball in space for the receivers to go get it.”
Harris completed seven of nine passes in 12-on-12 situations on Tuesday. He threw precise passes into tight coverage and found Samuel Emilus, who ran a deep corner route and made a leaping catch, for a long gain.
Dhel Duncan-Busby, with three catches, was the busiest receiver in 12-on-12. Emilus and Joe Robustelli each had two grabs.
Defensively, Antoine Brooks Jr. stood out with a pass knockdown behind the line of scrimmage. The 26-year-old cover linebacker has enjoyed an outstanding camp in general.
Saskatchewan’s pass-run ratio in 12-on-12 was close to 50 per cent on Tuesday.
