Dec. 31, 2010

By Dan Ryan
BCUAthletics.com

The first thing Eric Weems and Nick Collins discussed when they learned they’d be Pro Bowl teammates had nothing to do with Honolulu restaurants or nightspots or Pro Bowl logistics – that came later.

Instead, the Atlanta Falcons special teams performer and the Green Bay Packers defensive back talked about how cool it was for former Bethune-Cookman University teammates to be on the same team again, even it's for one game.

Weems and Collins made B-CU history Tuesday by being the first former Wildcats to be named to the Pro Bowl in the same year. It’s Weems’ first appearance in the NFL All-Star game, while Collins garnered his third straight appearance.

 “He’s (Collins) excited about it and I’m excited about it, that we finally, outside of Bethune, we get to go out and play together as teammates again,” Weems said. “Having two players from Bethune hasn’t happened before, so that’s also exciting. That’s the first thing he said when I talked to him.”

The Pro Bowl is set for January 30 in Hawaii.

“[Collins] gave me the run down on some things because he’s been to the Pro Bowl before,” Weems said. The two last played together in 2004 when B-CU beat Florida A&M 58-52 in an epic Florida Classic season finale in Orlando. Collins would be drafted by the Packers in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. Weems made his way to the Falcons as a free agent and paid his dues on the practice squad before making his way on to the roster via special teams.

“It’s a result of hard work, dedication and coming up through the ranks, me starting out on the practice squad,” Weems said. “It’s all about hard work and I feel blessed right now.”