Former Zillah standout Collins dies at 27

Apparent heart attack claims ex-Oregon, Occidental quarterback ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — For thousands of sports fans around the Yakima Valley, Andy Collins must have seemed indestructible, a virtual superman.

A three-sport standout for the Zillah Leopards and star quarterback who went on to success at both the collegiate and professional levels, he remained the humble and helpful kid next door, volunteering to coach budding track athletes at his alma mater.

He was young, handsome and a newlywed — he married Brooke Olzendam, a CBS college sports reporter, on July 23 — and was, as always, in tremendous physical condition. In his last physical exam, last February for his latest pro football team, he was a picture of robust health.

So it came as a shock to everyone when, while working out Monday evening in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Collins died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 27.

The son of Mike and Betty Collins of Zillah, Collins’ impact on the community and its schools was profound, according to administrators and coaches who knew him well.

“It’s hard to put into words,” said Doug Burge, his basketball coach at Zillah, where Collins was an all-state performer in both football and basketball and a state champion in track and field.

“If you wanted to mold a student athlete and have him be a certain way, I think Andy is that person — a natural leader, a genuine, great kid who stands for all the right things and does all the right things. He was just … perfect. I don’t think anybody ever could or would say a bad word about him.”

“Everybody in our school looks up to him,” said Zillah athletic director Rock Winters, who was an assistant coach on the football team while Collins was passing for 4,676 career yards. “Outstanding kid, great person, hard worker, leader — everything you could ask for.”

After graduating in 2002, Collins accepted a scholarship to play quarterback at the University of Oregon. But when the Ducks’ coaching staff wanted to take advantage of his athleticism and turn him into a middle linebacker, he wasn’t interested and transferred.

He ended up Occidental College, where he led his team to 26 straight victories and became the first three-time Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference offensive player of the year.

After graduating from Occidental and earning MVP honors in the Aztec Bowl, Collins agreed to a deal with the New York Giants before playing several seasons in the Arena Football League. In 2010, he was the starting quarterback for the Tri-Cities Fever of the Indoor Football League before a shoulder injury ended his season.

Last spring, after his final season as a quarterback with the AFL’s Spokane Shock, he came home to Zillah before his impending marriage to Olzendam and their planned move to Florida and her next CBS assignment. With some time on his hands, Collins volunteered to help coach the Leopards’ track team.

“We loved having him around,” Winters said. “Here you have this guy who’s done so much and he’s willing to be a volunteer track coach working with freshmen.”

And loving it, too.

“Throughout the summer, people would stop me to tell me things like, ‘My little girl was in track and Andy worked with her, and she just loved it when he was there because he just made it so much fun,’” Betty Collins said. “He was getting no pay and no accolades for that. It was just something he wanted to do and enjoyed doing.

“We’re so proud of him. He had a positive impact on so many people.”

Other survivors include brothers Nick Collins and Steven Collins of Ellensburg and Fort Mill, S.C., respectively, sister Suzanne Collins of Kennewick, and grandparents MaryJo and David Collins of Kent.

Funeral services are pending. Valley Hills Funeral Home in Zillah is handling the arrangements.