Former Alabama DB Landon Collins explains why he switched to safety
By Adam Spencer
Published:
New York Giants S Landon Collins is having an outstanding 2016 season, recording 80 tackles, three sacks, five interceptions and a touchdown through 10 games.
However, in high school, Collins and Eddie Lacy, another former Alabama star, shared the same backfield as running backs.
On the Thanksgiving episode of PFT Live, Collins said he switched from the running back position in order to preserve his body and have a longer NFL career:
“My mindset was not to take licks because I wanted to save my body to play the game for a long time,” said Collins, who initially abandoned the position in high school, given that Eddie Lacy was one of his teammates. “I know that the running backs come and go in the league, some stay a little bit longer. But I know the average is almost three to five years. So I wanted to stay in there a little bit longer.”
Collins added that hitting people is less painful than getting hit by people:
“It hurts way less to deliver the licks, I promise you that,” Collins said. “If you know how to tackle, know how to use your power for each tackle it hurts a lot less.”
Collins and the Giants travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns on Sunday. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. Eastern time and can be seen on FOX.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
