INDIANAPOLIS — A fourth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts back in 2009, Austin Collie seemed destined to become yet another terrific mid-round pickup by future Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian.
Statistically the nation’s top wide receiver at Brigham Young University in 2008 — his 1,538 receiving yards that year were tops in college football, better than future first-round picks Dez Bryant and Kenny Britt — the 6-foot, 204-pound Collie appeared to be an ideal fit for a Colts offense that had just lost another future Hall of Famer, Marvin Harrison, to retirement.
And with Reggie Wayne in the prime of his career and continuing to terrorize opposing defenses on the outside, Collie’s mixture of quickness and precise route running proved to be just as dangerous an option for quarterback Peyton Manning on the inside.