Seahawks endure ‘heart-crushing’ loss with the death of Alex Collins. How they are coping
His dancing. His smiles. His undeniable vitality.
That is what the Seahawks are remembering most.
Tuesday it was clear that those who played with him ending two years ago will always consider Alex Collins a teammate. And a friend.
“The craziest thing is that when he got really excited, he would start doing his dance,” said coach Pete Carroll, the man who drafted Collins into the NFL and to Seattle out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by way of the University of Arkansas in 2016. “He had whatever that dance was. I don’t know if it was an Irish jig, or clogging. It was a big deal to him.
“And he lit everybody up whenever he broke into it. So that’s one of the fun things that we remember about him.”
Collins died Sunday night. The Suzuki motorcycle he was driving crashed through the back window of and landed inside a Chevrolet Suburban SUV turning in front of him on a street in Lauderdale Lakes, near the former running back’s hometown. That’s according to an initial investigation by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and reported Monday by WPLG television in Miami.
Collins was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 28 years old.
He played for the Seahawks his rookie season of 2016, then again in 2020 and ‘21.
Tuesday’s 15th practice of training camp was particularly heavy for Carroll and the 31 players on the current 90-man roster who were Collins’ teammates in Seattle.
“It’s just a heart-crushing loss for Alex Collins to be gone,” Carroll said. “He was a beautiful kid and a wonderful competitor, but it’s the person that we will miss the most. He had a great spirit about him, and he was fun as heck.
“It’s so unfortunate for his family and for all of us that lost him. I wish there was something we could do.
“But it’s a heart breaker.”
Carroll spent time Tuesday morning talking to the players about dealing with Collins’ passing.
“We all have just been talking about it and sharing the suddenness of the impact of a loss like that,” Carroll said. “We’re just helping each other.
“We’re doing all right.”
With fame, money and otherworldly physical strength and speed, professional athletes in their 20s often feel invincible, that nothing in life can conquer them, particularly physically.
Collins’ death has been a reminder that’s not so.
“It’s not just our players. I think everybody feels invincible in their 20s,” the 71-year-old Carroll said. “It’s a shock. And it’s something that a lot of the players and the coaches all don’t experience sudden losses like that. So, often for the young guys it’s the first time they have to see that.
“Not for all of them, because there is a lot of hardships in everybody’s life. But it’s just a shock to reality when it hits.”
Quarterback Geno Smith was Russell Wilson’s backup the last two seasons Collins was a Seahawk. Smith posted on his social-media account after news of Collins’ death broke Monday evening these words over a picture of Collins smiling in his Seattle uniform, jersey number 41: “Life so crazy man. Fly high my boy until we meet again AK ALL THE WAY.” Smith included emojis of a dove and hands pressed together in prayer.
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks played the latter half of his 2020 rookie season with Collins, when the Seahawks signed Collins back. That was following injuries to running backs Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde and Travis Homer in the middle of that season.
Collins scored a touchdown Nov. 15, 2020, the second game of his Seattle redux, a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. That was Collins’ first start and his first score since Nov. 18, 2018, his final game with Baltimore before his 2 1/2 seasons out of the league. Collins finished 2020 with 18 carries for 77 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
He did his Irish dance celebration after them.
Brooks played again with Collins in 2021, when Collins was in the best shape of his career. He rushed for 101 yards in an October game that season at Pittsburgh.
Collins would have won that game almost by himself, but he injured his hip and gluteus muscle late in it. The Steelers came back and won in overtime.
Like with just about everyone inside Seahawks headquarters, Collins’ death hit Brooks hard.
“Oh man, that’s tough. That’s definitely tough,” Brooks said. “We started talking about that (Tuesday) morning. To see somebody that you know personally pass away so soon...”
Brooks paused.
“There’s not much to say. It’s an unfortunate thing for him and his family, so I’m just praying for his family and people that were close to him that God helps them through this time.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
