Seahawks running back  dies at  age 28

Alex Collins, a running back and fifth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2016 who became something of a fan favorite due to his love of Irish dancing and incorporating that into his touchdown celebrations, died Sunday night in a motorcycle accident in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, according to media reports.

Collins was 28.

“Absolutely heartbroken,” a tweet from the Seahawks read. “Prayers are with the Collins family.”

Media reports stated Collins’ Suzuki motorcycle collided with a Chevrolet SUV on Sunday night, resulting in Collins’ death.

Reports stated that investigators said: “At some point, the Chevrolet driver proceeded to turn left to travel south onto Northwest 33rd Avenue. As the car crossed the eastbound lanes, the motorcycle struck the rear passenger side of the SUV. The impact caused the motorcyclist to enter the rear passenger side window of the Chevrolet and come to a final rest inside the car. The collision also caused the Chevrolet to rotate clockwise before finally resting.”

Collins’ family released a statement through the Seahawks that read, in part: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Alex Collins this morning. Alex was cherished by his family and friends as well as supporters from all around the world.”

The statement said funeral arrangements would be released later.

Several of Collins’ former Seattle teammates also reacted on social media as the news was revealed Monday afternoon.

“Life so crazy man,” tweeted quarterback Geno Smith. “Fly high my boy until we meet again. AK ALL THE WAY.”

Tweeted fellow running back Rashaad Penny: “AK, I’m heartbroken.”

Collins’ agent, Kelli Masters, also acknowledged his death on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating: “As many of you have now heard, Alex Collins passed away this morning. My heart is broken, and I am just at a loss. Alex you were so loved by so many. You impacted lives with your joy and positive, caring spirit … and that big smile. I was so honored to be your agent.”

Collins played in 11 games with 125 yards rushing as a rookie in 2016 for the Seahawks before being waived at the roster cutdown to 53 the following year and then signing with Baltimore, where he spent two seasons.

Collins, who had starred at Arkansas, where he became the third running back in SEC history to begin his career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, had his best NFL season with the Ravens in 2017 with 973 yards.

After not playing in the 2019 season, Collins returned to the Seahawks in 2020 and played three games that season and then 11 more in 2021 with Seattle. He was Seattle’s second-leading rusher that year with 411 yards and two touchdowns, which included a 101-yard effort in a Sunday night game at Pittsburgh.

In a statement released Monday night, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said, in part: “Alex’s infectious smile and classic river dance skills will forever be missed. Alex would light up a room and was beloved by our entire building. He enjoyed life and attacked it on the football field.”

Collins had been waived by the Ravens in March 2019 after he was arrested following an early morning car crash in Owings Mills, Maryland. He eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges of possession of a handgun and marijuana and received probation — with the charges being expunged after three years — and a fine of $200, according to media reports at the time.

Collins, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was the active career leader in SEC rushing yards when he left Arkansas after the 2015 season with 3,703 yards.

Collins became the 171st overall selection in the 2016 draft and immediately became a fan favorite with his tales of taking up Irish dancing as a way to stay in shape in preparation for the draft, which eventually helped him earn the nickname of “Sweet Feet.”

“My little sister, she does Irish dance,” Collins explained on draft day. “She kind of challenged me to get into it. I thought, ‘Why not? I have some time on my hands and I can give it a go.’ She got me in to it and I tried it out and I ended up really liking it.”

Collins explained he took on the alias of Mitchell Findley as an homage to his new dancing hobby.

“It originated from Michael Flatley, professional Irish dancer,” Collins said. “When I got into it, I wanted to watch the best and learn from him. I watched ‘Lord of the Dance’ on YouTube a few times, and kind of got it from there.”

Collins later incorporated the dancing into his touchdown celebrations, continuing to use it throughout his career to stay in shape.

“I’m always on my toes and my lower body, my calf muscles and whatnot,” he said in 2016. “It’s a lot of fun working with them and learning something new, especially since I didn’t think I could do it.”

Collins was not re-signed by the Seahawks after becoming a free agent following the 2021 season.

His 2021 season ended when he was placed on injured reserve with an abdomen injury on Jan. 4, 2022, before Seattle’s final game of the season.

He had not been on an NFL roster since the 2021 season but played this spring with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League, rushing for 98 yards on 33 carries before being placed on injured reserve in May.