Morris: Collins Jr. proving to be the deep threat Leos have needed

Being called twitchy isn’t normally a complement.

For BC Lions wide receiver Ricky Collins Jr., being twitchy is a good thing.

Ask Markus Howell about Collins and the eyes of the Lions’ receivers coach light up like a father talking about a favorite son.

“Ricky is twitchy,” said Howell. “He’s an explosive athlete.”

What makes Collins special is his ability to play from a stationary stance or a running start.

“A lot of receivers are either or,” said Howell. “He can do both which makes him an explosive guy.”

Collins also combines a cheetah’s speed with a rabbit’s agility. Running a route, he can accelerate when making a sudden change of direction. That can leave a defensive back suddenly looking at an empty space.

“It’s the ability to have a sudden burst, a sudden separation,” said Howell. “Stick your foot in the ground and change direction on a dime.”

In seven games this year Collins has 24 catches for 254 yards and a touchdown. He’s also returned punts and kickoffs.

The 26-year-old native of Tyler, Tex., missed last week’s loss to Toronto with a hamstring injury but is expected to return to the lineup when the Lions (3-5) face the Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-4) Saturday at BC Place Stadium.

Playing the Riders is special for Collins.

He joined Saskatchewan as a free agent in 2016 and played 14 games, making 48 catches for 720 yards and two touchdowns. He dressed for one game last year before being traded to Hamilton in mid-August. He eventually was released without playing a game for the Tiger-Cats.

“At first there was some bitterness but then I had to understand it was part of the game,” Collins said about the trade.

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Ricky Collins Jr. celebrates with his teammates earlier this year after his first major of the season (Peter McCabe/CFL.ca)

He still has friends on the Riders, but any comradery vanishes when the whistle blows.

“Getting to play against a team you were previously on, it’s one of those bittersweet moments,” Collins said. “You want to get the best of them and they want to get the best of you.

“A win is always fun, but a win against them would be something better.”

Collins joined the Lions as a free agent this winter. On a receiving corps that already featured Emmanuel Arceneaux, Bryan Burnham and Shaq Johnson, it took a while before he and quarterback Travis Lulay got on the same page.

Lulay began to fully appreciate Collins’ skills in an Aug. 20 game in Ottawa where the two connected for six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown.

“I realized the weapon he was,” said Lulay. “We hadn’t played a lot together. I think Ricky has come along really nice in our offence, a real nice complement to the other guys we’ve got.

“My confidence in him has grown.”

At six foot and 198 pounds, Collins isn’t as big as some of the other receivers, but he has what Lulay calls “pretty good go-get’em skills.” He can catch balls off his back shoulder and has the strong hands to make grabs in traffic.

“We’re still getting better in terms of familiarity with one another and within the offence,” said Lulay. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”

With Johnson out with a rib injury, Collins could be a favorite target for Lulay against the Riders.

Heading into the weekend BC has scored the least points in the CFL West (180) and have just eight touchdowns off passes. The Lions’ 70 first downs from passing is last in the league and their average pass gain of eight yards is middle of the pack. BC is also 0-5 on the road.

During the season the BC offence has shown flashes of promise at times only to self-destruct with penalties or turnovers.

“There have been good things in the losses,” said Lulay. “The biggest thing for us, particularly in the road games, is putting ourselves in a little bit of a hole with some negative plays.”

Collins’ football career has followed a long and twisting road.

Due to academic issues he attended Kilgore (Texas) Junior College. After two years he transferred to Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas. He played five games there before returning home to help his family after his father suffered a stroke.

Once his father recovered, Collins decided to attend Texas A&M University-Commerce but had to sit out the 2013 season.

In 11 games in 2014 he had 71 catches for 1,187 yards with a school-record 14 touchdown catches.

Overlooked in the 2015 NFL draft, Collins signed as a free agent with the Green Bay Packers. He was injured in training camp and released, then didn’t play in 2015.

Howell was part of the Riders’ staff when they spotted Collins at a free agent camp in Dallas-Fort Worth. There were over 30 receivers at the camp, but Collins stood out.

“Ricky kept cutting in front of the line,” Howell laughed.

A father of three children, Collins said providing for his family has been a major motivating factor.

“My kids have to eat,” he said. “If I’m not bringing in money who is going to bring in some food for them?”

Dealing with the difficult times have also helped him be a better player

“Just being more of a professional, taking coaching in more seriously,” he said. “Being a better student of the game.”