Jackson Free Press

On July 31, 2008, the University of Southern Mississippi announced its plan to retire Reggie Collier's #10 jersey. The next day, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum inducted Collier with the class of 2008. These two honors reflect the contributions he made as a quarterback for the Golden Eagles, as well as his time playing professionally in the USFL and NFL. Collier, a former USFL Birmingham Stallion and NFL Dallas Cowboy, spoke with the Jackson Free Press at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

USM has just announced they want to retire your number, what does that mean to you?
That's the ultimate compliment that I can get from the university because anytime you have a jersey retired, that says something. No one else can wear that jersey number … so it's the ultimate compliment. The great thing about it is that football is the ultimate team sport. I couldn't have accomplished anything without those other guys on the field with me. A lot of people recognize that I played with Louis Smith, (Hanford) Dixon, Samuel Winder, but there are so many others that people don't know about that did just as good a job as they did. ... I'm just grateful. Without those other guys and coaches, there's no way I'd be here.

You got a late start with organized sports in 10th grade. What made you decide to join the football team at such a late age?
Well, the simple fact is that I couldn't play (before 10th grade); my grandfather wouldn't let us play. It was a rule of his, something that he believed in. He just didn't believe in sports because he was a Pentecostal bishop. Anything of the world, as long we lived in his house, we weren't going to participate in. When I moved to my dad's when I was a sophomore, he allowed us—as long as we kept our grades up—to play ball.

Who has had the biggest impact on your life outside of football?
No doubt about it: my parents. Not only my mom and my dad, (but also) my grandparents, my uncle. ... Each one played a small part at some point in my life to get me to the point I was.

There was so much hype going into the big 1981 MSU game. How nervous were you stepping onto that field in that packed stadium?
Nervous? I wasn't really nervous. Excited, because at that time I was a junior, so I had already played two years and a couple games. Once you get to that point, it's no longer getting nervous. You're excited; you anticipate the moment; you're ready to get started so you can actually play the game.

That's one of the hardest games I've ever played in my life.

Like I said last night, it was a challenge on the field. I had never played against a team that had that much talent as Mississippi State did that year. So I knew it was going to be a struggle. Of all the games we had that year, that game was the one I knew we had to worry about because of Mississippi State's defense.

Why did you choose the USFL professionally over the NFL?
The USFL gave me the opportunity to play quarterback. NFL wanted me to play wide receiver or defensive back. ... In hindsight I probably wouldn't have done it, but you have to live with it. You make choices, and you have to live with them.