THE TIDE THAT BIND
Ex-’Bama mates stay best friends in NFL
As All-American collegiate teammates at Alabama with national championships on their résumés, the Giants’ Landon Collins and the Packers’ Ha Ha Clinton-Dix used to talk about one day playing on the same team in the NFL.
The words “Giants” and “Packers” sort of demonstrates how that dream fared. Well, if not that, then maybe they could square off in the Super Bowl. But that gets tough when you are drafted by teams in the same conference. “Stuff happens,” Collins said. So the pair are settling for the next-best option — being on opposing sides for the playoffs which they will do Sunday in the NFC wild-card game when the Giants battle the Packers in frigid Green Bay, Wis.
“That’s my boy. He was texting me earlier today. We’re like brothers,” said Collins, who like Clinton-Dix was named to the Pro Bowl, but also added AP All-Pro recognition Friday. “We were expecting to play in the NFC Championship, but hey, we’ve got to play now. We’ve got to get out there. We told each other just be great and have fun and be the best. But not better than me, of course.”
Collins became the only player in NFL history to rack up at least 100 tackles, 100-plus solo tackles, twoplus sacks, five interceptions and 12 passes defended in a season. He also tied for second among safeties with five interceptions, the same number recorded by Clinton-Dix, who led the Packers in tackles (117).
“He’s got range, he’s quick. The only thing I think I’m better than him at is tackling,” Collins said. “Other than that, he favors more a free safety role. I play more in the box. Other than that, everywhere else, man-to-man coverage and stuff, we’re kind of equal.”
And friends to the end — or at least until kickoff.
“We text before games and usually stop when we leave the hotel, but last time we played them in Green Bay, we were texting while we were in the locker room before the game,” Collins said. “Then we got on the field and we talked a little when the game started.”
Collins, a 2015 second-round pick, said those days at Alabama helped prepare him for what will be his first venture into the NFL playoffs.
“I’ve been in these [big game] situations playing for Alabama. It’s nothing new,” Collins said. “It’s just a different stage.”
With a good friend wearing a different uniform.