The Ravens spent part of Tuesday remembering former running back Alex Collins, who died following a motorcycle accident Sunday.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh started off his media availability by remembering Collins and the “great dancer” that he was.
“From the bottom of our hearts, as an organization, every player, every coach, from [owner] Steve [Bisciotti], right on through the whole organization, we want to wish that family our utmost heartfelt condolences and also our prayers for them and for Alex in eternity. He was a great guy. Every day on the practice field [he brought] great energy.
“[He was] a great dancer, as you might remember – a great dancer. And we loved having him here,” Harbaugh told reporters.
Collins died after the motorcycle he was driving collided with another vehicle.
The beloved running back appeared in 25 games for the Ravens across the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
He recorded 1,384 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns during his two seasons in Baltimore.
He clearly made a profound impact during his time by the reaction from fans and players alike there.
“To Alex Collins, he was a funny teammate,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey told reporters. “I think he made everybody laugh, but I just want to encourage everyone – whoever’s listening – just tell your people that you love them because you truly just never know. I just wanted to say that, and [I’m sending] lots of prayers to Alex Collins and his family.”
Humphrey’s first two seasons in the NFL were during Collins’ tenure with the Ravens.
The defensive back said it was the journey that Collins took to get to the league that will stand out to him.
He recalled how Collins went from a practice squad player to a big piece of the Ravens’ offense.
“So, it was kind of a very ideal story [because] a lot of times, a practice squad guy may not think he’s starting running back in the same season, but to kind of see that journey for him, it was surreal,” Humphrey said. “I’m sure it was a surreal feeling for him, but also it was also you really can start low and get [to] where you want to be after already getting drafted earlier, going to the bottom and then coming back. So, a lot of ups and downs, but it can happen.”