UNT's # 1 recruit of all time

SUMG · June 18, 2005

It was 1978........we signed the #1 running back in Texas, Milton Collins (from Blooming Grove). He was that year's Eric Dickerson or Adrian Peterson. He was the top running back in the state. If there had been National 100 lists (like Rivals) back then, Milton would have been on it.

Back then, players could sign conference letters of intent in the SWC. (They signed those a week before National letters of intent were signed.) What those conference letters of intent did......once a player signed one of those, no one else in the conference could sign the kid. But, teams that weren't in the SWC, could sign a player to a National letter of intent, which overrode a conference letter.

Milton had signed a SWC letter of intent with A $ M.

Well, Hayden went in, and stole Milton from them. I'll never forget the coverage we got for that. Channel 4 (then CBS) showed Hayden arriving at the Collins' family house on signing date. As I recall, it had snowed that morning, so Hayden was shown there, wiping his feet off, as he entered the Collins' house.

Unfortunately though, Milton was never the stud in college, that he was in high school. I guess, in his case, going from 1A or 2A (whatever Blooming Grove was) was too much of a jump up in talent.

I don't think he ever ran for even 300 yards (or more) in any season. As a matter of fact, toward the end of his career, he was switched to D Line. And, as I recall.....he also did our kickoffs one season.

One more thing about Milton. Bless his heart, he may have had a tough life......because he was the oldest looking 18 year old, I have ever seen, before or since. He looked at least 30.

But for a while.......signing date and the months afterward....his signing gave us a lot to crow about. Too bad his UNT career wasn't a little better.

Marty · June 18, 2005

Didn't he end up at SMU? I believe his younger brother played at UNT a few years later.

SUMG · June 18, 2005

Didn't he end up at SMU? I believe his younger brother played at UNT a few years later.

I thought he stayed with us, for four years. But according to the Media Guide, he only earned letters in '78 and '79. I don't remember him transferring to SMU, but you may be right.

As for his little brother....we had a Darrin Collins who played at NT in the mid-late 80s. Darrin, as I recall, was from Carthage (in Northeast Texas). Not sure if he and Milton were related or not.

dogsplayinpoker · June 18, 2005

What about that kid from Lollygag HS? I think his name was Tyrone Shoelaces

GrandGreen · June 18, 2005

Milton played all four years at NT ending his career as a starting defensive lineman. I have problems with talking about Milton Collins has a bust as he gave NT great publicity being considered the number one recruit in the state and he did contribute to the team. No he was not close to being the next Earl Campbell as touted but he was far from being a wasted ship.

Varsity · June 18, 2005

Back in the 1960s there was a hotshot QB from Kansas named Tommy Hartledge who had offers from all over the Big 10 and the Big Eight but grades forced him to JC. He came to Denton with a scrapbook full of press clippings and hype but I don't think he lasted a year at NT. Wonder where he is now?

Cooley · June 19, 2005

Not quite the same dissapointment as Milton Collins, but I have to give a high honorable mention to Spencer Stack. Though he didn't have any other D1 offers, he proclaimed on the local sports stations that he would make the other schools regret not offering him a scholarship. Hell, I believed him!!!

By the way, Collins pledged the same organization I was a member of (Wisconsin Sleepers) During a visit back to NT, I made the entire pledge class to write me a letter. I still have those letters from 1980.

IslandEagle · June 19, 2005

Not quite the same dissapointment as Milton Collins, but I have to give a high honorable mention to Spencer Stack. Though he didn't have any other D1 offers, he proclaimed on the local sports stations that he would make the other schools regret not offering him a scholarship. Hell, I believed him!!!
By the way, Collins pledged the same organization I was a member of (Wisconsin Sleepers) During a visit back to NT, I made the entire pledge class to write me a letter. I still have those letters from 1980.

And what about the hotshot, JC First-Team All-American QB from New York signed by Matt Simon who was supposed to be the second coming and who showed up on campus briefly in the spring and then disappeared into obscurity totally. Anybody remember his name. If not, I can look it up. He was 6-2 205, could run an honest 4.5 40 and throw the ball the lenght of the football field, but apparently was totally looney.

SUMG · June 19, 2005

And what about the hotshot, JC First-Team All-American QB from New York signed by Matt Simon who was supposed to be the second coming and who showed up on campus briefly in the spring and then disappeared into obscurity totally. Anybody remember his name. If not, I can look it up. He was 6-2 205, could run an honest 4.5 40 and throw the ball the lenght of the football field, but apparently was totally looney.

Was that kid's name.....Melvin Daniels? Was that it?

Parker brought in a kid to challenge Mitch Maher, who he claimed was the 2nd coming of Doug Williams. Remember Benny Valentine???