Harry Warren (RIP) Collins, Texas A&M legend

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In the 1915 football game between Texas and Texas A&M, Harry Warren (Rip) Collins, shown here in 1924 when he was a major league baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, punted the ball 23 times, averaging 55 yards per kick. Collins imparted an unusual spin on the ball when he punted, such that the Texas return men fumbled it 13 (!) times. One of those fumbles set up the only touchdown scored in the game, which ironically was scored by Harry himself. The Aggies beat the heavily-favored Longhorns 13-0. To add insult to injury, Harry was an exceptional athlete at Austin High School --- UT's own backyard. His team won two Texas state football championships, but his athletic skills apparently did not impress the UT coaches, so he enrolled at A&M. He is still considered one of the best punters in Southwest Conference history,

 

By the end of his Aggie football career Collins was a legend. He was also an excellent baseball player and in 1920 joined the New York Yankees. He later pitched for the Red Sox, Detroit and St. Louis, finishing with a lifetime pitching record of 108 wins and 82 losses. After retiring from baseball, Harry joined the Texas Rangers. He was a law enforcement officer until he retired in 1950. Harry, who was born in Weatherford, died in Bryan in 1968 and is buried in the College Station Cemetery.