He graduated from South Oak Cliff in 1972 and took a scholarship to East Texas State, an NAIA program, to play football and run track and field.
Collier played as a true freshman for the 1972 East Texas State Lions Football Team, who finished 10-2 and won the NAIA Division I National Championship that year.
As a reserve defensive back, he tallied 525 all purpose yards, including 2 interceptions on the season and also served as a punt returner for the Lions.
Collier once again repeated as a first-team all LSC performer and was again named to the Associated Press's All-American team as an Honorable Mention.
He was however, a member of the 1984 San Francisco team that won Super Bowl XIX as he spent that season rehabbing an injury and was put on the injured reserved list.