{{short description|American football player (born 1985)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox NFL biography |name=Brandon Collier |image= |caption= |current_team= |number=90<ref name="Pfa">{{cite web | url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/c/coll00620.html | title=Brandon Collier | publisher=Pro Football Archives | accessdate=3 August 2025}}</ref> |position=Defensive tackle |birth_date={{birth date and age|September 27, 1985}} |birth_place=Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |death_date= |death_place= |height_ft=6 |height_in=1 |weight_lbs=278 |high_school=Lakewood {{nowrap|(Lakewood, Ohio)}} |college=UMass (2005–2009) |undraftedyear=2010 |pastteams= * Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|2011}})* * Winnipeg Blue Bombers ({{CFL Year|2012}}) |highlights= * 2× Third-team All-CAA (2007, 2009) }} '''Brandon Douglas Collier''' (born September 27, 1985) is an American former football defensive tackle. He played college football at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and professionally for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
==Early life== Brandon Douglas Collier was born on September 27, 1985, in Cleveland, Ohio.<ref name="Pfa"/> He grew up playing football until he was 11 but did not play the sport again until his senior year at Lakewood High School.<ref name="Nyt">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1003700/2019/05/31/ppi-recruits-brandon-collier-europe-college-football-us-tour/ | title=Mr. Worldwide: How Brandon Collier and PPI Recruits have become college football’s international matchmaker | work=The New York Times | date=May 31, 2019 | accessdate=3 August 2025 | author=Jennings, Chantel}}</ref> He also participated in baseball and track in high school.<ref name="Bio"/> In 2004, Collier enrolled at the boarding school Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio.<ref name="Pfa"/><ref name="Nyt"/> He posted 75 solo tackles, 32 assisted tackles, and 12 sacks during his one year at Western Reserve, earning second-team all-state honors.<ref name="Bio"/>
==College career== Collier received offers from some MAC schools but decided to enroll at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to play for defensive-minded head coach Don Brown.<ref name="Nyt"/> Collier redshirted for the UMass Minutemen in 2005 and was a four-year letterman from 2006 to 2009.<ref name="Pfa"/> He played in all 15 games, starting ten, for the 2006 Minutemen team that lost in the FCS national championship game, recording 52 tackles, three sacks, and one fumble recovery.<ref name="Bio"/> Collier started all 13 games in 2007, totaling 19 solo tackles, 43 assisted tackles, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries while garnering third-team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) recognition.<ref name="Bio"/> As a junior team captain in 2008, he played in 10 games, starting nine, and posted 36 tackles.<ref name="Bio"/> He started all 11 games his senior year in 2009, totaling 38 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery while earning third-team All-CAA honors.<ref name="Bio"/> Collier majored in hospitality & tourism management.<ref name="Bio">{{cite web | url=https://umassathletics.com/sports/football/roster/brandon-collier/1494 | title=Brandon Collier | publisher=University of Massachusetts Amherst | accessdate=3 August 2025}}</ref>
==Professional career== Collier worked out at UMass's pro day in March 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://umassathletics.com/news/2010/3/25/nfl_scouts_come_out_for_umass_football_pro_day | title=NFL Scouts Come Out For UMass Football Pro Day | publisher=University of Massachusetts Amherst | date=March 25, 2010 | accessdate=3 August 2025}}</ref> He had a workout with the Carolina Panthers in spring 2010 but it was revealed that he had a pectoral muscle problem requiring surgery.<ref name="Nyt"/> In 2011, he played for the Vienna Vikings in Europe.<ref name="Nyt"/> He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on August 4, 2011, after the team suffered some injuries at defensive tackle.<ref name="Pfa"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://umassathletics.com/sports/2016/7/1/blog-2011-08-brandon-collier-signs-with-eagles-html | title=Brandon Collier Signs WIth Eagles | publisher=University of Massachusetts Amherst | date=August 4, 2011 | accessdate=3 August 2025 | author=Gunn, Dave}}</ref> Collier was released on August 13, 2011.<ref name="Pfa"/>
Collier signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on April 4, 2012.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cfl.ca/2012/04/04/bombers-sign-canadian-dl-ryan-lucas/ | title=BOMBERS SIGN CANADIAN DL RYAN LUCAS | publisher=CFL.ca | date=April 4, 2012 | accessdate=3 August 2025}}</ref> He played in ten games, all starts, for the Blue Bombers during the 2012 season, recording 12 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup.<ref name="Pfa"/> He was released on April 9, 2013.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://winnipegsun.com/2013/04/09/bombers-quarterback-pierce-glad-for-opportunity-to-start | title=Bombers quarterback Pierce glad for opportunity to start | work=Winnipeg Sun | date=April 9, 2013 | accessdate=3 August 2025 | author=Friesen, Paul}}</ref>
Collier then returned to Europe and played three more seasons.<ref name="Nyt"/> In August 2016, he suffered a career-ending ACL injury.<ref name="Nyt"/>
==Recruiting career== In 2017, Collier founded PPI Recruits to match European players with U.S. college football teams.<ref name="Nyt"/><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeberardino/2021/08/20/meet-the-man-behind-europes-college-football-invasion/ | title=Meet The Man Behind Europe's College Football Invasion | work=Forbes | date=August 20, 2021 | accessdate=3 August 2025 | author=Berardino, Mike}}</ref> As of March 2023, he had helped over 100 recruits from over 20 countries secure Division I scholarships.<ref name="Afi"/> In 2023, he was named No. 5 on Sports Illustrated’s "20 Most Influential Black Figures in College Football".<ref name="Afi"/> Collier has also recruited some players from Africa and Australia.<ref name="Afi">{{cite web | url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/ppis-brandon-collier-named-to-sports-illustrateds-top-20-most-influential-black-figures-in-college-football/ | title=PPI’s Brandon Collier named to Sports Illustrated’s Top 20 Most Influential Black Figures in College Football | publisher=American Football International | date=March 6, 2023 | accessdate=3 August 2025 | author=MacKenzie, Daniel}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collier, Brandon}} Category:Living people Category:1985 births Category:American football defensive tackles Category:Canadian football defensive linemen Category:Western Reserve Academy alumni Category:UMass Minutemen football players Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Category:Vienna Vikings players Category:Players of American football from Cleveland Category:Players of Canadian football from Cleveland