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CHARLOTTE, NC – A coach who worked to turn around a football program and a community is gone. Players are stunned by the sudden death of West Charlotte High School head coach and former NFL Player Mo Collins.
“We all look up to him as one big team,” says Freshman running back James Johnson, one of several players who say Collins made an impact on their lives. “He was like a father-figure to me. And he taught me the fundamentals of football,” Johnson says.
Collins died unexpectedly Sunday morning after a sudden illness. The 38-year-old NFL veteran had returned to coach the team he played for in high school, with a goal of restoring West Charlotte to its glory days.
“Man, his passion. Wow, he didn’t want to see nobody down, he always wanted somebody on the field. He tried to get as many kids from off the street, anywhere. He just, wanted everybody to do good,” explains West Charlotte student Miles Friday.
Collins played college ball at Florida and spent six years in the NFL with Oakland. Recently, Collins helped secure a $200,000 donation from the NFL for a new turf field at West Charlotte. “He always told us, ‘never give up, always keep fighting, keep swinging,” says former player Tyrun Withers.
Collins’ former players met Sunday afternoon in a special meeting at the school. They say Collins made a difference on and off the field. “He taught us how to grow up and be more mature,” Withers says.
Now they say they’ll come together to make sure the vision Collins had for West Charlotte becomes reality. “He did show us the true meaning of “Restoring the Roar” and we thank him for that,” Johnson says.
