Question For Landon Collins Mother: Happy Now? He IS.
By: Larry Burton
Everyone remembers the painful day that Landon Collins announced his intention to come to Alabama during his recruitment. It was a viral day for a video that showed his mothers displeasure with his choice and not picking LSU. April Justin was not a happy camper.
Here’s that video in case you forgot.
Just in case you were wondering, despite his great career here that will result no doubt in a fat NFL contract, she’s still not very happy.
In a 2014 interview, she wasn’t very happy when she said, “I’d still prefer him home at LSU,” Justin said. “What he’s doing at Alabama, he could have done the same thing at LSU. I feel as though Landon would have had a starting spot as a freshman.”
But she did at least have a little warmth in her heart for Alabama, hoping her second son, Gerald Willis, would go play with his brother if he didn’t choose to stay in Louisiana. Or maybe she just would like to go to one stadium to see both boys. Either way, it’s the closest she’s come to saying anything positive about Alabama.
In an ESPN story she said,”It’s going to be crazy. I’m not looking forward to it, but I am looking forward to it in a sense, so [Willis] can move on. But I’m hoping that everything works out with him to be on the same team as his brother. I really would love to see them play together.
“That’d be once in a lifetime, like winning the lottery, to see them on the same team. That’d be awesome, but it’s where he’s going to be happy.”
But she was not happy that her other son also passed up staying in state or not choosing to play with his big brother. Instead he chose to play this past season for Florida. But he has since left that school after being dismissed from the team.
But she was at least not as displeased as before when he chose the Gators as she was with Landon as we see in this clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ojy98TYvO8
And now with her son moving on the NFL, will she be upset if he doesn’t sign with the New Orleans Saints?
I think if the numbers are big enough, this time we may actually see a smile from his mom. As for Landon, he was so happy to have been here. Here is a message he left on his instagram account:
“My letter to my teammates, coach Saban, the UA
coaching staff, the University of Alabama and all the Roll Tide Fans. I
can’t put into words what these past three years have meant to me not
only in my development as a football player but even more importantly as
a man. I came in as a 18 year old boy who wanted nothing more than to
play for Coach Saban and wear the prestigious “A” on my helmet. Coach
Saban along with all the other coaches at Bama have not only mentored me
on the field but also showed me the tools I would need to succeed in
life outside of football. Hard work, dedication and discipline are not
only words in a dictionary but the actual way of life taught to me
during my time at the University of Alabama. I can honestly say I am a
better man after spending the last 3 years in Tuscaloosa. Now that the
time as come for me to take the next step in my journey I will dearly
miss all my teammates who I sweat, cried and laughed with. I have no
doubt it is true when they say the best time of your life is when you
are playing college football and I wouldn’t have picked a different
group of guys to spend that time with. Lastly but certainly not least I
want to thank all the Roll Tide fans that took a young man from New
Orleans and took him in as one of their own. I fed off the passion you
all showed every Saturday at the games and can’t start to thank you for
enough being the BEST FANS IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL! Thank you all, Landon
Collins #RollTide4Life”
And from the legions of fans in the Alabama Nation, thank you Landon for coming and being not just a standout player, but a stand up guy on this team. Best of luck in the next phase of your life.
Maybe this time, everyone will all smile together.
Larry has been published in almost every media outlet for college sports and now primarily writes here for Touchdown Alabama. Follow Larry on Twitter for inside thoughts and game time comments at https://twitter.com/LBSportswriter
