Pittsburgh Steelers helmet (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Mike Collier has reportedly passed away.
Collier played two seasons with the Steelers (1975-67) and spent three with the Buffalo Bills from 1977-79. He died at the age of 71 in Maryland on Sunday, according to reports.
The former RB, who played his college football at Morgan State, is reported to have died at the Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown.
Collier told the Baltimore Sun 12 years ago that his time in the NFL felt like a dream, and he expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
“It used to seem like a dream,” he told the outlet. “I realize that a lot of people would love to have been in my position. I thank God that He gave me the opportunity to be there.”
Collier, drafted in the 14th round in 1975, just wanted an opportunity to prove himself in the pros. He ended up becoming a Super Bowl Champion with the Steelers.
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“All I asked for was a chance,” he said in 2014. “Being in the NFL and having that chance was the greatest thing. Luckily, there were six preseason games then. A couple guys got hurt – nothing too serious but it gave me a chance to play and prove myself.”
He rushed for a total of 370 yards on 86 carries, adding 11 receptions for another 73 yards.
Mike Collier Had One Gripe About Coaches In The NFL
Former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Collier (Photo via Imagn Images)
The Maryland native also famously claimed that he played for the best NFL coach in Chuck Noll, stating that the former HC never got the credit he deserved.
“You always hear people talking about [Bill] Belichick and other guys as the greatest coaches. You rarely hear about Noll,” he declared. “That upsets me greatly. He was one of the greatest coaches ever in that timeframe.”
Collier lived with his wife, Lisa, their three children, and six grandchildren in Hagerstown, where he worked as the manager of a local grocery store until 2014.
Our hearts go out to his family.
Rest in Peace, Mike Collier – 1953-2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers Release Superstar Player In Stunning Roster Move
Pittsburgh Steelers helmet (Photo by: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving on from veteran pass rusher Preston Smith after a short-lived tenure in Steel City.
On Friday, the Steelers announced that they are releasing Preston Smith ahead of the new league year. Before the 2024 trade deadline, Pittsburgh acquired Smith from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick.
Per OvertheCap.com, Smith had massive cap hits of $13.4 million and $14.1 million for 2025 and 2026, respectively. The Steelers save the same amount of cap space in each of those years by releasing the 32-year-old.
Preston Smith was drafted in the second round by Washington back in 2015. After four seasons there, he joined the Green Bay Packers in 2019 free agency and formed an explosive pass-rushing tandem with Za’Darius Smith, helping the NFC North club to consecutive NFC Championship Game appearances in 2019 and 2020.
Smith had his best season in 2019, recording 12 sacks, four pass breakups and one forced fumble. He recorded at least eight sacks in four of his first five seasons in Titletown.
Steelers Got Minimal Production Out Of Preston Smith
The Steelers had hoped that Smith would bring more pass-rushing depth to complement the likes of TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith and Cam Heyward for the postseason. But the former Packers star had just two sacks in eight game appearances and was inactive for their Wild Card Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
