Fort Worth-area senior who helps family during pandemic returns to basketball court
Nathan Collins made the biggest play of his Fort Worth Eastern Hills basketball career on Feb. 10 against FW Dunbar. With the game tied at 58 and under 10 seconds left, Eastern Hills missed the second of two free-throw attempts, Collins got the rebound, drew the foul and converted the 3-point play.
The Highlanders beat second-place Dunbar, 61-58, to clinch a playoff berth and the No. 3 seed.
In his biggest moment of the season, it was Collins’ first game of the season.
No, he wasn’t sick. He wasn’t injured.
Rewind 10 months earlier when the coronavirus pandemic began.
Living with two brothers, one sister and a single mother, the family took on hard times when Collins’ mother was laid off in May from USMD Hospital in Arlington.
Collins only had one thing on his mind. Take care of his family.
“This pandemic took a toll on me,” he said. “I wanted to work and help out my mom.”
Collins started to work at Best Maid Pickles, however, while providing for his family, it was difficult to juggle work, education and basketball. Collins couldn’t commit when the season started in November.
“We said come when you can,” said Eastern Hills coach Melvin Miller, who has known Collins since he was in the sixth grade. “But it was hard for him in his situation.”
Things began to change when Collins thought about graduation.
“I gave it some deep thought on what was really important in the long run and that was my education and doing what I love, playing basketball,” said Collins, who began playing basketball in middle school. “I decided to go back after speaking with my school counselor and my friends and teammates motivated me.”
But there still was a process to get Collins on the court.
When he returned in January, he had just missed the window to be eligible. Miller said Collins had to sit out two games more than they had anticipated.
“He put his head in the books and worked hard to become eligible,” Miller said. “Then he was able to play the final game against Dunbar and the whole team was super supportive. They welcomed him back with open arms.
“He kept coming to practice. He was supportive on the bench. He stayed the course.”
Added Collins, “My coach and teammates helped me realize that I had too much potential to just let it all go. They motivated me to get back to playing because that could be my meal ticket to success in life. I commend them on standing behind me through the good and the bad.”
Eastern Hills, which is going to the playoffs for the second year in a row, will open with Decatur in the Class 4A bi-district round at 3 p.m. Saturday at Weatherford.
“It meant a lot to me more than I really can explain,” said Collins of helping the team to the postseason. He had a team-high 14 points against Dunbar. “I guess it all happened at the right time.”
