Hustle play will help rookie Collins get more playing time

The Dallas Cowboys knew exactly what they were getting when they signed La’el Collins. The rookie guard showed them Sunday in his first NFL game.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Collins has earned the right to play.

“La’el has earned [it] with the way he played [Sunday],” Jones said on his weekly radio show on 105.3FM. “Quote his coach [Frank Pollack said], ‘He’s earned the right to step in there and get the play time.’ On the other hand, [Ron] Leary is having an outstanding year, and if Leary can come back and work this week and what have you, then we’ll have Leary out there. But La’el surely will get real playing time.”

Collins was inactive for the season opener. He split series with veteran Mackenzy Bernadeau against the Philadelphia Eagles, with Bernadeau playing two series to Collins’ one. But Collins finished with 43 snaps, and Bernadeau 42.

Bernadeau had three penalties. Collins had none.

Collins also earned praise for chasing down Byron Maxwell on a fumble return, keeping Maxwell out of the end zone. The Eagles fumbled it back to the Cowboys on the next play.

Jones said it reminded him of a play Hall of Famer Larry Allen made his rookie season. In 1994, New Orleans Saints linebacker Darion Conner intercepted Troy Aikman near midfield in the first half of a game in New Orleans. Conner had no one between him and the goal line, but Allen chased down Conner from behind. Dan Dierdorf, the television analyst for the game, called it, “one of the most impressive athletic feats I have ever seen.”

Jones was reminded of it Sunday.

“That was an outstanding play,” Jones said of Collins. “That was reminiscent of Larry Allen when he ran the guy down and saved the touchdown. That shows you the athlete he is. He saved a touchdown for us on the [fumble]. But more than that, he was aggressive. He played hard.”

Leary, the starter at left guard, missed Sunday’s game against the Eagles with a groin injury but is expected to return to practice this week.

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 9:55 AM with the headline "Hustle play will help rookie Collins get more playing time."