Nico Collins is Ready to Take the Next Step

The Houston Texans training camp has been creating a lot of positive buzz over the last couple weeks. The storyline we are all wanting to hear is how good Derek Stingley is doing, or maybe that Davis Mills is showing out, and those are both true. But, there is one player who has really been showing out on the field so far- Nico Collins.

Going into the season, the competition for the receiver two spot was going to be one to watch. Between Nico Collins and John Metchie III, the Texans receiving core could’ve been terrific this year. But, as we are all familiar with, things change and you have to go with the flow and adjust.

Heading into training camp, second-round receiver, John Metchie III announced that he was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. This form of leukemia is treatable due to the doctors catching it quickly. But for those of you who are unfamiliar with this form of leukemia, here is a breakdown of it:

"“Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a unique subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). APL cells have a very specific abnormality that involves chromosomes 15 and 17, leading to the formation of an abnormal fusion gene called PML/RARα. This mutated gene causes many of the features of the disease. APL accounts for about 10-15 percent of all adult AML cases diagnosed each year.Promyelocytes are immature white blood cells. In APL, these cells are overproduced and accumulate in the bone marrow. Signs, symptoms and complications of APL result from the overproduction of promyelocytes and the underproduction of healthy blood cells.Treatment for patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) differs from treatment for patients with other AML subtypes. Because of advances in diagnosis and treatment of this disease, APL is now considered the most curable form of adult leukemia. Cure rates of 90 percent have been reported from centers specializing in APL treatment.”"

So flash forward to training camp today, Nico Collins is now the wide receiver two heading into the season. And with that, he knows he has to take a step up from last season. That’s why during camp for the past couple weeks, Collins has stayed after practice to work on routes. After everyone has left, he stayed after and continues to work.

If Collins really uses this time after practice to improve his game, we could be looking at a elite wide receiver two this upcoming season.