In 1952, his junior season, he broke Big Ten Conference records by catching seven touchdown passes and accumulating 650 receiving yards.
[2] Following the 1953 college football season, in which he captained the Wildcats and again earned All-American honors, Collier was selected by the New York Giants in the 22nd round of the 1954 NFL draft.
[3][4][5] However, Collier decided not to play professional football, instead becoming an assistant coach at Western Illinois University after a three-year stint in the U.S.
The team won the 1965 AFL Championship Game over the San Diego Chargers with help from defensive alignments that Collier designed.
[2] The Bills' best season under Collier came in his first year, when they won the Eastern Division with a 9–4–1 record, eventually losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL Championship Game.
During the practice session, quarterback Jack Kemp broke his right leg, an injury that forced him to undergo season-ending surgery.
After an injury to Lyle Alzado early in the 1976 season, Collier used the system more regularly and improved upon it: author Terry Frei called him "the scientist in the laboratory, coming up with ways to make the defense even better.
[17][18] However, Collier's first year saw the Patriots defense improve from second-worst in the league (out of 28 teams) to the middle of the pack (15th).