Former NFL player Roosevelt Collins shares why he serves others by hosting free youth camp

While riding his bicycle, Collins was struck by a vehicle traveling about 40 mph. He suffered a brain bleed, broken bones and spent five days in a coma.

"That was really hard for me," he said. "My eyes opened, and they've been open ever since because I know I'll take any day by chance. I think God has me here for a reason. My job is just to serve," Collins said.

Long before the NFL, Collins was a student at Booker T. Washington High School, where he said coaches and teachers taught him the value of consistency.

"The teachers always told me to be consistent," Collins said. "Don't miss school. Don't skip school."

Those lessons helped carry him from Shreveport to Texas Christian University, where he earned a football scholarship, and eventually to a six-year NFL career with the Miami Dolphins.

After football, Collins spent more than two decades working in Tarrant County Juvenile Services in Texas, helping families and young people navigate difficult circumstances. He said that experience reinforced his belief that young people need support and guidance, not judgment.

"There's no such thing as a bad kid," Collins said. "Kids make poor choices based upon their resources. If these young people have no resources, they have no people behind them, they have no choices."

That philosophy is at the heart of the upcoming camp.

While participants will take part in football drills, Collins said the focus is on mentorship, leadership and life skills. The camp will feature a "huddle" session where children can sit down with former NFL players, ask questions and discuss challenges both on and off the field.

"It's more important for you to be a great young man compared to just being a football player," Collins said. "The career might be five to seven years, but you're going to be a man the rest of your life."

The camp is open to boys and girls. Collins said he especially hopes young women interested in flag football will attend as opportunities continue to expand at the collegiate level.

For Collins, returning to Booker T. Washington is also a chance to honor the people who helped shape his own journey.

"I always wanted to give back," he said. "Somebody gave me a pair of shoes one day. Because of that, every year we come back and try to do something for these kids."

The free camp will be held at Booker T. Washington High School. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with activities starting at 9 a.m.