Clinton punter Blaine Collins signs with Maryville
Clinton’s Blaine Collins is joined by family to celebrate the signing his national letter of intent to continue his academic and football career at Maryville College.
Collins finalized his plans last week by signing a national letter of intent to attend Maryville College, where he will punt for the Scots.
The 2024 Region 3-5A Punter of the Year is following a familiar path. His brother, Bryce Collins, also punted for Clinton before playing at Maryville.
“I knew about it because my brother played there,” Blaine said. “The game-day environment appealed to me, and I felt a connection with the players and coaches.”
Bryce graduated from Clinton four years ago, and Blaine said that played a role in his decision.
Collins plans to major in business management and hopes to one day own a business in Knoxville.
“I liked Maryville because of the small class sizes; it felt a lot like high school,” he said.
“When I got there, it just felt perfect. You get to know the people around you.”
Another key factor in his choice was proximity to home.
“I wanted to stay close, within a three-hour radius,” Collins said.
“It’s important to me that my family can see me play.”
