“Positive thinking plus positive speaking will give you positive results.” These words were echoed throughout Coventry High School’s auditorium on Wednesday, October 7th. Tony Collins, former NFL star and Patriots player, stopped by to speak to the whole school about the his struggles with drug addiction, how he overcame them, and the importance of hard work and education.
FORMER NE PATRIOT, TONY COLLINS, INSPIRES CHS STUDENTs
By Sarah Carr
“Positive thinking plus positive speaking will give you positive results.” These words were echoed throughout Coventry High School’s auditorium on Wednesday, October 7th. Tony Collins, former NFL star and Patriots player, stopped by to speak to the whole school about the his struggles with drug addiction, how he overcame them, and the importance of hard work and education.
Collins began his speech by mentioning the “Law of Attraction – what you think about the most will come to you.” His story is the epitome of that: he lived and breathed football, disregarding his school work throughout college, nearly getting kicked off of his team, before leaving school to begin training for the NFL. Without completing his degree, he worked, trained, and practiced until he became the Patriots’ first string running back. He was awarded Rookie of the Year, played in the Pro Bowl, and achieved the success most football players hope for in their entire career.
He had achieved his number one goal in life and then had it stripped away from him when he got released from the New England Patriots for drug abuse. He was given a second chance by the Colts and agreed to every day drug testing, only to have this opportunity stripped away by the second hand smoke at a party he went to. He hadn’t even smoked anything there, but just being around these things stripped his dreams from him forever.
He retired shortly after and grew depressed, stuck in a job he hated and nowhere to go. His thinking was purely negative… and then he met a woman who is still his wife today. A positive thinker who changed his attitude, she turned his life around and Collins is where he is today.
Collins travels from school to school teaching students about the benefits of hard work and the harm drug abuse can cause.
Collins did not preach his story for sympathy, but to teach and help any students who may be struggling with their own choices and situations. His speech captivated the room, ending on a positive note, much like his story, “The only person who can stop you is you.”
If you want to learn more, check out Collins’ book titled Broken Road.
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