Former Stratford football coach Rodney Collins dies

His head coaching career spanned several academies across Georgia, including two stints at Stratford (1988-2002, 2007-2012).

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) –  Stratford Academy confirms former head football coach Rodney Collins has died.

He was 75.

“While Coach Collins was known for an outstanding career as a football coach during his time at Stratford, winning three state championships, he will be remembered more for the investment he made in the lives of students,” the school said in a statement. “The time he spent with them was life changing and his impact will continue for many years.”

Collins was a standout athlete at Hawkinsville High School, earning accolades in multiple sports, including being named State Class B Back of the Year in 1965. He went on to play quarterback and punter at Austin Peay State University.

His head coaching career spanned several academies across Georgia, including two years at John Milledge (1986, 1987) and two stints at Stratford (1988-2002, 2007-2012).

Stratford celebrated three state titles under his guidance (1993, 1999, and 2000). Collins was a three-time Coach of the Year and received the GISA Coaches Association Distinguished Service Award three times.

He stepped down in 2012 and was inducted into Macon’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Perhaps the most well-known player he coached was Le Kevin Smith, who played for Nebraska in college before a five-year career in the National Football League. Smith’s NFL stops included New England and Denver.

Smith shared by phone Wednesday that he “wouldn’t be where he is today” without Collins.

“I got into the school,” Smith remembered, adding he was a kid “from what some would consider the other side of the tracks.”

“It was a whole lot for me to get the opportunity to go there, and out of nowhere, I just kind of up and decided, ‘You know what?’ I’m not doing this. I’m not going out there to that school.'”

He says Collins drove to his house and told him he needed to come with him. “I just refused to go,” Smith said.

Stratford started camp without him.

“My mom found out that I didn’t report to camp that year, my freshman year,” Smith said. “She came home from her vacation, drove me to camp. Coach Collins, wide awake at like 2, 3 in the morning, met me and my mom at the gate at Tifton College, where they were doing camp. He just goes, ‘We’re gonna be up at 5 in the morning, just so you know.'”

Smith says he was the only one up at 5 a.m.

“He’s got me out in the middle of the field, and I’m like, ‘What are we doing?'” He goes, ‘Well, I understand you had some things you were working through. Well we’re fixing to start working through things right now.”

Smith says Collins always taught his players the value of facing adversity instead of running away.

“That’s what I realized I was doing,” Smith said. “I saw something that was different. I was afraid of it, and I chose to run away from it.”

Collins also impacted countless lives off the field, spending his school days teaching preschool and lower school physical education. He also is “the reason” Director of Athletic Operations Terry Sowell is at Stratford.

Collins was prayer partners with Sowell’s husband in the late 90s while she was pregnant with her son.

“He (Collins) kept telling me at church, “You’ve got to come to Stratford. You’ve got to come to Stratford,’” she remembered.

Sowell interviewed for a Stratford position around the time her son was entering Pre-K, accepted a job and is now in her 25th year there. Her titles over the years include third grade teacher, Director of Special Projects and Title IIA/IV Coordinator.

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