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PROVO, Utah (April 26, 2009) - BYU's all-time leading receiver Austin Collie was drafted on Sunday by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. A 6-foot-2, 206-pound wide receiver, Collie was the 27th pick of the fourth round and the 127th overall selection in this year's draft. He was the 19th receiver selected.
"Just to get picked up by a team that was the best fit for me and my style of play, and that's what I got." Collie said in a post-draft conference call. "It's a dream come true. It's a blessing to go in this spot and to a team you've always grown up watching, especially a team like the Indianapolis Colts that throws the ball. I mean what receiver wouldn't want to go there?"
Collie will now catch passes from future Hall of Famer and MVP Peyton Manning.
"They have a fantastic quarterback. They're a winning program; they're a team that knows how to get it done. They know what it takes to be a winning franchise, and they've proven that over the years."
He is ready to fill any role the Colts ask him to fill.
"I'm anywhere the Colts need me to be. I can play whatever position as far as inside at the slot or outside. I definitely think I run exceptional routes and have good hands. I think that's kind of the personality of the Colts wide receiving corps. They're guys that are technicians and guys that know how to get open, and guys that can make plays. I definitely think that this is the best fit for me. I can play anywhere they want me to play."
A native of Eldorado Hills, Calif., Collie is the sixth BYU player to be drafted by the Colts organization and the first since linebacker Rob Morris and offensive lineman Matt Johnson were taken by Indianapolis in the first and fifth rounds, respectively, of the 2000 draft. Other BYU players drafted by the Colts include defensive back Derwin Gray (1993, fourth round), wide receiver Mark Bellini (1987, seventh round), and defensive lineman Paul Linford (1975, fourth round to Baltimore Colts).
Collie is the highest drafted BYU wide receiver since Dan Plater was taken by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round with the 106th overall pick of the 1982 draft. Overall, Collie is the ninth BYU wideout to be drafted by the NFL and the first since the Arizona Cardinals selected Todd Watkins in the seventh round of the 2006 draft. Other BYU wide receivers drafted by the NFL include Mark Bellini (seventh round by the Indianapolis Colts in 1987); Glen Kozlowski (11th round by the Chicago Bears in 1986); Kirk Pendleton (11th round by the San Francisco 49ers in 1984); Lloyd Jones (eighth round by New York Jets in 1981); and Phil Odle (fifth round by Detroit Lions in 1968). Golden Richards (2nd round by the Dallas Cowboys in 1973) also played at BYU before finishing his college career at Hawaii.
Collie's father Scott is one of four other Cougar wide receivers who have been drafted by either the Canadian Football League or the defunct United States Football League. Scott Collie played for BYU from 1979-82 before being drafted by the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1983. Austin's brother Zac also played receiver at BYU from 2003-2006 before signing as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles.
A physical receiver and sharp route runner with good quickness and soft hands, Collie used his talents to lead the nation with 1,538 receiving yards in 2008, averaging an NCAA-best 118.31 yards per game. He was also 12th nationally in all-purpose yards at 162.46 yards per game while helping BYU rank No. 9 nationally in kickoff returns last season. Collie returned two kicks for 70 or more yards. In 2008 Collie also tied an NCAA single-season record held by Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree by topping 100 receiving yards in 11 consecutive games.
Collie hauled in 106 receptions and 15 touchdowns as a junior in 2008 before declaring for the draft. He earned six different All-America awards, including first-team honors by CBS Sports.com and second-team accolades from The Associated Press, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated and Rivals. An All-Mountain West Conference First Team selection and Academic All-MWC honoree, Collie enters the NFL as the BYU and MWC record holder in the following categories:
BYU SEASON & CAREER RECORDS Receiving yards in a season: 1,538 (2008) Career receiving yards: 3,255 Career receiving touchdowns: 30 Career receptions: 215 Receiving touchdowns in a season: 15-tied (2008) Receptions in a season: 106 (2008)
MWC SEASON & CAREER RECORDS Receiving touchdowns in a season: 15 (2008) Career receiving touchdowns: 30 Receiving yards in a season (MWC games only): 1,023 (2008) Most 100-yard receiving games in a season: 11 (2008) Most career 100-yard receiving games: 17 Consecutive 100-yard receiving games: 11 Receiving yards for a junior: 1,538 (2008) All-purpose yards as a junior: 2,112 (2008) Receiving touchdowns in a season (MWC games only): 10-tied (2008)
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COLLIE CAREER STATISTICS Yr Gms Rec Yds TD Long Avg./R Avg./G 2004 11 53 771 8 82 14.5 70.1 2007 13 56 946 7 66 16.9 72.8 2008 13 106 1538 15 76 14.5 118.2 TOTAL 37 215 3255 30 82 15.3 87.2
COLLIE CAREER BESTS Rec: 11 (vs. Arizona, Dec. 20, 2008) Las Vegas Bowl Yds: 156 (at CSU; Nov. 1, 2008) TD: 3 (at CSU; Nov. 1, 2008) LNG: 82 (vs. San Diego State; Nov. 6, 2004)
