ALLEN PARK — Nico Collins didn’t get the chance to get on the field last year when the Houston Texans faced the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
The Texans’ wide receiver was just making his way back after a hamstring injury kept him out over six weeks.
But on a return to Detroit with the Texans for a joint practice ahead of a preseason matchup on Saturday, the former Michigan wide receiver is excited to be back and practicing in a state that means so much to him as a rising star in the NFL.
“I love it, you know, great weather, great people. It’s always great to come back up here, man,” Collins told reporters Thursday. “Good to see the fans that, you know, go blue, great Michigan fans. It was good to get out of the heat a little bit, come up here and work, for sure.”
Collins, a Pinson, Alabama native, spent three seasons as a feature receiver for the Wolverines, totaling 1,388 yards and 13 touchdowns in 27 games. He was a third-round pick to the Texans in 2021 after opting out of the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
Since, Collins has grown into a top NFL receiver, whose only limitations have been health for the most part. Collins has yet to play in every game in any of his four NFL seasons.
But over the last two years he’s accumulated 2,303 yards and 15 touchdowns in 27 games and made a Pro Bowl, while reaching the postseason with Houston twice.
Even as his star rises, Collins reflects fondly on his days at Michigan and thinks about lessons learned from his time in Ann Arbor.
“Still a lot,” Collins said. “I feel like as you grow each day about this game, man, you find different ways to grow. You cross paths with different people. I feel like for me, just picking brains with veterans that’s a little older than me, seeing how they operate, seeing how they go about their game and seeing what they do for their body, I take notes, little nuggets and y’all see how that can better me.”
Collins was a feature of Thursday’s joint practice at the Lions’ practice facility. It’s unlikely Collins will see too much of the field during the final preseason game before the season begins, so joint practice was his chance to remind many of the Michigan fans in attendance what he can do.
Against a talented Lions secondary, Collins was a huge problem, consistently finding his way open downfield.
Two early passes from quarterback C.J. Stroud toward Collins were jumped on by the Lions’ defense. The other six targets to Collins were all completions, including a 20-plus yard catch after burning Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold.
Collins’ rise has come alongside the introduction of DeMeco Ryans as head coach in 2023.
While a defensive-minded head coach, Ryans has seen the major steps forward Collins has made to become a feature part of the Houston offense.
“The confidence. Every time I see Nico, I say ‘Hey, what’s up playmaker?’ Like you are a big time playmaker, walk that way and he’s done that,” Ryans said. “He shows up that way on the field any time we need a play, we know it and I think the opponent knows it. That’s where the ball is going. With everybody knowing, he still shows up and makes big-time plays in any critical moment that you need him to.”
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