Two years ago, former NFL safety Matt Bowen sat down with safety Landon Collins to watch film from his All-Pro season, one highlighted by big plays for a top defense. And Bowen was immediately impressed.
Collins, then 23, was singing a tune only a former player could appreciate: He was detailed in his pre-snap recognition and what the formation told him; he knew where his eyes should be and how he needed to react.
"It was everything you'd expect to hear sitting in the coaches office," said Bowen, now part of ESPN's NFL Matchup. "The things he told me were high-level stuff.