La'el Collins (born July 26, 1993; pronounced /lɑːʔˈɛl/) is an American football offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, where he won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, recognizing Southeastern Conference's (SEC) top offensive lineman, in 2014. Collins signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
Early life
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Collins attended Redemptorist High School, where he was named to the Louisiana 3A All-State team in each of his final three seasons. Paving the way for running back Jeremy Hill, Collins helped lead Redemptorist to a LHSAA Class 3A state quarterfinals berth in his senior year, where the team lost to Patterson, which was led by running back Kenny Hilliard. After the season, Collins played in the Under Armour All-America Game and was also named All-American by Parade and USA Today.
Regarded as a five-star prospect by every major recruiting source, Collins was listed as one of the premier offensive tackle prospects in the class of 2011. Rivals.com ranked him second behind only Cyrus Kouandjio, while ESPN had him in third place, behind Kouandjio and Christian Westerman. Collins had offers from almost every major program in the country, including Auburn, Florida State, and Southern California, but committed early to Louisiana State in September 2009.
2012-2014 |
2015-2021 |