Meet Patriots Second Round Draft Pick Jamie Collins

After trading out of the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots chose Southern Mississippi outside linebacker Jamie Collins with the team’s first pick in the second round (52nd overall).

“Jamie [Collins] is an interesting guy that came into college as a safety, played inside linebacker, played outside linebacker in a 3-4 and then played defensive end last year,” said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. “He’s been a very productive player in the kicking game. He’s got a lot of versatility, solid player, hard worker, great kid.”

Collins, according to NFL.com, is a versatile defensive end/linebacker hybrid that racked up 20 tackles for loss (10 sacks) for Southern Miss during his first-team All-Conference USA senior season. NFL.com profile says while “he’s not an elite pass rush talent and is still growing into his fame, he presents scouts with surprising agility for his size and the length to be an effective 3-4 backer capable of doing a bit of everything, with untapped potential as a mid-round pick.”

The Patriots first draft pick of the draft spoke to media Friday night to talk about joining the team in Foxborough. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: Were you surprised to get the call from the Patriots?

JC: I’m just happy that my name got called.

Q: How happy are you to be on a team that's actually going to win a game?

JC: No matter what team you’re on – I’m going to play my heart out.

Q: Do you have any preconceived notions about the Patriots and the way they operate?

JC: Not really. From the things I’ve heard about New England, there are a lot of pluses and very few minuses. I’m just ready to get in there and get started.

Q: How hard is it to keep playing hard when you lose game after game like your Southern Mississippi team did this year?

JC: It’s motivation and adversity – everybody has to deal with adversity. It’s not just about losing every game and not being able to play hard. I felt like I had to play hard every game just because we were losing. I felt like it was going to draw a lot of attention to me to see how I played despite the fact that we were 0-12.

Q: What was it about you that stood out to the scouts and particularly the Patriots?

JC: I’m a football player. No matter what the team does, I’m an individual person playing football. It’s a team effort, but you still have to look at one individual to see if he is busting his behind to do the right thing and make plays. I feel like that’s good.

Q: For people who haven’t seen you play, is there someone in the league that you try to model your game after and that you look up to?

JC: All of the players in the league are great guys. I’m just ready to get in there and follow the leaders, look up to the veterans and try to feed off of them and maybe one day I’ll be the guy that [young] players look up to.

Q: When coach Belichick was down in Hattiesburg, did he work you out personally and was there any indication on your end that there could be interest?

JC: Coach Belichick came down to work me out. I head a couple [coaches] work me out. I’m willing to do anything to just get on a team and to get picked up.

Q: You played special teams; is it true that you played gunner on the punt team?

JC: Yes, I did. My sophomore year I played gunner a couple of times. Coach put me out there on the punt team and every year I played right guard.

Q: You played defensive back your first two years there?

JC: Yes. I came in as a safety. I played quarterback and safety in high school and I came into college at 212 pounds, so I came in at safety.

Q: What do you like about the transition to defensive end/linebacker?

JC: It’s just a lot of diversity going to quarterback to safety to [defensive] end; you’ve got a lot of mobility. There are just a lot more things that you can use as defensive end just because you’ve played safety, and I feel like I can use both to my advantage.

Q: What is the biggest advantage you have from coming off the edge?

JC: I would have to say my speed and my athletic ability. Just the natural raw talent – just doing the things I have to do to get to the quarterback.

Q: Could you put a percentage on the amount of time you had your hand in the dirt and the amount of time you were standing up on defense?

JC: No. I played true defensive end my senior [year]; that was the only time I played true [defensive] end. I wasn’t too comfortable – it was my first year playing [that position] and it felt good to get sacks – I never thought sacking the quarterback would feel so good. It just gives you a chance to cause the play.

Q: When coach Belichick was in Mississippi, did you talk to him personally and get a sense that he liked what he saw in you?

JC: We talked a lot and watched some film. He was a great guy. He wasn’t too hard to communicate with as far as that part of it, as far as being together down there for that time.

Q: You said you weren’t comfortable playing defensive end. What was the hard part of that transition for you?

JC: I don’t mean it like that. I’m just saying as far as coming in at safety to linebacker to end, it’s different going up against those big guys every play when you play safety and you have to bang with those guys. It was fun. I just wasn’t comfortable going out and finesse with the blocks and things like that. There isn’t anything better than going against those guys over and over and wearing those big guys out knowing that you can keep going and they’re fatigued.

Q: Why weren’t you guys able to handle that coaching change very well last year?

JC: I feel like a lot of people didn’t buy into the system. The new coaches came in and we had a lot of young guys. Once a guy started, it just got bigger and bigger.

Q: Were your forced fumbles primarily strips of the quarterback or did you knock it away from running backs?

JC: I had quite a few of both. I had a couple strips on the quarterback and a lot of punches from behind, taking plays from behind. I feel like a turnover are the most important thing for a defense. You need turnovers to get the ball back to the offense.

Q: What do you think about a cold weather city?

JC: I’m ready for the challenge. Despite whatever it is about the cold weather, because I’m from down south, I’m going to do what’s best for my team, no matter what it is.

Q: What do you do away from the field?

JC: I fish and I play pool.

Q: Are you good?

JC: I think I’m pretty good. I don’t like to brag; I just like to show and go out and prove.

To view Collins complete profile, click here.