In high demand
Collins works all over field for Panthers
Camden Collins knows what’s being asked of him for his senior football season at Siloam Springs.
Night in and night out, the Panthers intend to call on the 6-foot2, 185-pound all-state senior to help them in all three phases of the game: Offense, defense and special teams.
Collins — a three-year starter — doesn’t mind the work, nor does he fear it.
“You just have to mentally get ready for that,” Collins said. “And physically you’ve just got to tell yourself that you’re going to have to work hard, do the best you can every play and push through because it’s going to be hard.”
Collins logged more than 80 snaps in last Friday’s 52-42 loss to Rogers in the season opener.
The bulk of the time on the field was spent at outside linebacker, where he’s been a starter the last two seasons. He also had around 20 plays at running back and even more on the different special teams formations.
“The last two years we have used him in about every scenario we can as far as defense,” said Siloam Springs head coach Brandon Craig. “Defensively, offensively and in special teams, he’s been a great player for us and done everything we’ve asked.”
On more than one occasion, Craig has said Collins’ first responsibility is on defense, where he earned 6A-West All-Conference honors as a sophomore and Class 6A All-State honors as a junior.
Collins was a freshman the spring of 2018 when Craig took the head coaching job at Siloam Springs. It didn’t take long for Craig to notice Collins in spring ball that year.
“We had spring practice, so he would come in after school and jump into whatever practice was left,” Craig said. “I remember we were in an inside run period and he was playing running back, and we ran a little play, and he just hit the gas and I could tell right then he was going to be a player. He had that natural aggressiveness and natural ability. I knew right then as a ninth grader he was going to be a kid that would start for us.”
Collins made the varsity as a sophomore, starting the year out at cornerback then to safety before finally settling at the Sam linebacker spot.
“We didn’t want to throw a sophomore into the fire inside,” Craig said. “Then we moved him to safety and kind of messed around with him there. Then we finally put him at our Sam linebacker, which is our most important position in our defensive scheme. He ended up being a really great player for us.”
As a sophomore, Collins finished with 73 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a touchdown against Little Rock Hall. For his stellar season, Collins was named a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Top Sophomores for 2018.
Collins also got the thrill of playing side-by-side with his older brother Corbin, who was a a senior offensive lineman in 2018.
“I really wanted to make my brother proud, and I wanted him and all his friends on the team to trust me,” Collins said. “So that was really motivating for me, just because my brother was on the team.”
Collins picked up right where he left off in 2019, recording 94 total tackles, including a team-high 44 tackles. He had 17 tackles for loss and an interception returned for a touchdown against eventual state finalist Benton.
Collins also played some running back, carrying the ball 34 times for 165 yards and four touchdowns before spending the last five games exclusively on defense.
Collins said playing defense is his favorite.
“You have to be in the right spot, but you have to be fast in everything you do,” he said. “You have to be fundamentally sound, but you still have to fly around.”
Collins was all over the place for the Panthers’ defense in their opener against the Mounties.
He graded out at 92 percent, had five solo tackles with one sack, and assisted on six more. He was first to the ball a team-high 12 times.
“When he’s on the field, he’s our number one playmaker on the field and we can trust him to make a play,” said defensive coordinator Cole Harriman.
Collins also had a role on offense at running back. He rushed eight times for 47 yards and caught two passes for 16 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown reception with 4.4 seconds left in the first half to give the Panthers a 35-28 lead at halftime.
“I think he knows he’s going to be asked to do a lot,” Harriman said. “We need him on the offensive side of the ball. He’s got the best attitude when it comes to that, and I think he understands how important it is. I think he knows, if he wasn’t playing defense, he would have been a running back the last couple of years. He does a good job on that side of the ball.
“Part of this, Coach Craig has made a commitment that we’re going to be sound and we’re going to be good defensively. And so, for him to tell Cam the last two years, you’re going to major in defensive football has been huge. I know that he could have helped us tremendously the last two years on offense.”
Collins also played roles on kickoff, punt, punt return and field goal block on special teams.
“I was pretty tired,” he said. “I could have gone more if I needed to.”
Collins is likely to be all over the field again this Friday as the Panthers (0-1) travel to Pea Ridge (0-1), which lost at Shiloh Christian 47-14 last Friday.
Craig said the Panthers make an honest effort to limit Collins’ use on offense and special teams, but the bottom line is they need him out there.
“We understand that to win games we’re going to have to have our best players on the field,” Craig said, “and he’s definitely one of them.”