Cedric Collins: Facing life after football

It’s been a little more than a year since Texas A&M cornerback commit Cedric Collins was last able to suit up on the football field, and he may never be able to again.

In a playoff game last year Collins suffered a stinger, but for precautionary reasons he went to get it checked out by a doctor. What came next was something he thought he would never hear. He was told that he was born with two vertebrae that were stuck together and that he could no longer play the game he loved so much.

“It was crazy because they were telling me that I should have never played football,” he said. “When you’ve been playing for that long it’s hard for them to take that away from you like that.”

The initial news hit Cedric hard, as it would anyone looking forward to playing football at the next level. He wondered what he would do next, what the Aggie coaches would think and whether he would still be able to attend A&M.

“It was really hard for me at first,” he said. “I missed a couple of days of school because I was just so shocked and upset by it.”

His biggest question was what would he say to the A&M coaches and how would they react; he was scared they wouldn’t want him anymore.

After phone conversations with area recruiter David Beaty and Aggie coach Kevin Sumlin, he knew everything would be alright.

“The day that I found out I talked with Coach Beaty and Coach Sumlin, and I was relieved to hear them say that everything was going to be alright,” he said. They told me no matter what they still wanted me to be a part of the Aggie family. I was scared because I didn’t know how they would take it, but it let me know right then and there that I made the right choice by committing to A&M.

"A lot of coaches wouldn’t do that, and it just lets me know my decision to come to A&M was the right one.”

Even though Collins may never be able to suit up on Kyle Field, that won’t stop him from trying to make as big of an impact as he can while he’s there.

“Anything that they want me to do, I’m going to do it,” he said. “Any way that I can help out the team while I’m there is what I’m going to do. I’ll help as a coach, and then as much as I can with recruiting guys to come to A&M.”

Collins still believes that his future lies somewhere on the football field despite his current condition.

“I know for sure that I want to coach. I really like history, so I wouldn’t mind teaching that and then being a high school coach. I know I want to be a part of football any way that I can.”

While he’s come to accept that he may never play again, Collins is holding out hope that one day he may overcome the odds and run out on Kyle Field.

“There’s a small chance I could play again, but the process is really slow," he said. “I’m just praying about it. The doctors have seen the same thing that I’ve had before and there’s a chance that things could grow and separate.

"Either way, I’m going to be fine.”

As Signing Day approaches one thing is certain — Collins will fulfill a lifelong dream of signing with Texas A&M. He can’t wait for that day regardless of what the future holds for him after that.

“I’m just ready for that day to happen,” he said. “I really love A&M and all of the people there. I can’t wait to get to College Station.”