UCF DT Thomas Collins Talks Moving Cross-Country, Family and Football in Sweden
UCF defensive tackle Thomas Collins speaks exclusively to our own Bryson Turner during the Knights' Media Day.
Video Transcript
All right Thomas, how you doing?
I'm all good, man.
How are you doing?
I'm doing all right.
I'm doing all right.
So now you've been through spring practice, you get started with fall camp, how do you feel like you've really integrated into this program?
No, it feels great.
Uh, I feel like we've got a, got tight connection with the guys and especially the D-line room.
We've been working a lot together and, uh, you're spending a lot of time together outside of here too, so it's been great.
What it's been like working with Kenny Martin and this defensive tackle when we got horn.
RJ, just what's it been like working with them?
Just the detail, like the it's just the focus on details and the pressure we put on each other in a positive way.
Like everybody accepts, expects greatness from each other, so I feel like holding each other to the standard has really made us all better.
What's it been like moving across the country to uh from Oregon to Central Florida?
It's been great.
I love the weather down here.
There's a lot of good golf and just being able to practice outside every day and never have.
You know, uh , any, it's really the food is really important too.
There's a lot of good food down here.
What's the biggest thing you want N Nation to know about you that maybe they might not know?
Oh, I'm just a, I'm just a big sports guy and anything.
Anything I could compete in, I like to compete.
I've played hockey, soccer, you know, floor ball, so mostly like a lot of sports.
So I just, anything I do, I just like to compete a lot.
But considering, you know, you might, it's might, might be evident from what you, when you look at Florida, but Florida's been quite the hockey state over the last few years with the Florida Panthers and Tam Bay Lights.
And all that.
So what's it been like kind of getting a chance to, I guess, indulge your, your affinity with other sports here?
No, it's been great.
Uh, I haven't been able to leave yet because I'm still working on getting a US driver's license.
So, but I'm hoping to for, for next spring I'm hoping to get out and watch a couple of games at least.
What's it been like trying to get a US driver's license at this point in your life?
Uh, it's been hard because I don't have a.
Since I'm, I'm from Sweden originally, I'm still written down there, so I need, I, I need, um, like an official residency card, and now we're moving around so much.
I've already been to two different housing, uh, like houses here in Florida.
So right now that I got my final living place, I'm, uh, able to get, uh, uh, that address on my official residency card.
What's it been like, you know, with this little like kind of almost a little group of international.
Players that this that this team seems to have now even with one in your position room with Jeffson Lafontaine.
No, it's been great.
It's like we, we can relate to a lot of the same things and, and just having a team that, that understands that, you know, we're no different, we're just here to compete and earn a spot like everybody else.
What, what's it like to be able to come from a background like Sweden to to here as far as like the infrastructure of American football in Sweden?
It's, it's, it's like night and day.
You can't, like as a Swede and like my family at home, I, I think it's hard for them to imagine how big football is here and, uh, and how strong the community is in support of football.
So it's just been a great experience so far.
What does this team need to do between now and the start of the season for you to feel like that you guys are in the position you need to be?
I feel like we just need to continue doing what we've been doing, just growing together as a team, as, as a defensive unit, especially, and just playing fast and trusting in each other, and that comes with time, you know, but I think we've we've we've come there very early, so right now we just have to redefine it and keep working on it.
His family gotten a chance to.
So you play in America?
Not yet, but, uh, my mother just to book tickets last week, so they'll be out here for the Bethune-Cookman game.
So I'm really excited for that.
Gotta imagine it being in Orlando helps a bit.
Oh yeah, definitely.
What, what's, what does it mean to you to be able to know like, OK, this is, this is happening now, man, it's, uh, we're just talking about the, my family coming out, your family coming out, yeah, it's just, it's just unreal.
If it's gonna feel, I think it's gonna feel great because, uh, growing up my parents used to come to every game and.
Uh, driving to practices and stuff, and they use it, so that was a really big part of it.
So having them out there in the stands is gonna be, it's gonna be awesome, awesome.
Well, best of luck this year, Thomas.
Thank you.
