Behind the Face Mask takes a closer look at your favourite Saskatchewan Roughriders.
This week, guest host David Thomas chats with left tackle Payton Collins.
Dave Thomas:
It is time for Behind the Face Mask with offensive lineman and left tackle Payton Collins.
Payton, thank you so much for doing this. But first, we’ve got to get to the big news of the week. Of course, Logan Ferland got married on the bye week. Did you get him a gift?
Payton Collins:
I got him a monetary gift. That’s what he asked for, so, in a sense, yes. I got him a gift.
Dave Thomas:
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
Payton Collins:
The best gift I’ve ever received? I’m a big LeBron fan, and one of my friends got me this custom-made shirt for my birthday. I love LeBron, and it was just a great gift. I loved it. I was a kid.
Dave Thomas:
That’s a very good gift. Very personal.
On a scale of one to 10, how good of a gift giver are you? You’ve talked about the money that you gave Logan Ferland.
Payton Collins:
If I could go into the negatives, I probably would.
I have to ask my fiancée sometimes what she wants. I’m so bad at getting gifts, but I try, though.
Ten out of 10 for effort, but execution sometimes is zero.
Dave Thomas:
You graduated from college with a master’s in business administration. How proud are you of that accomplishment, especially during COVID, and being able to check that off the list?
Payton Collins:
Very proud, for sure. I know that’s something that I don’t take for granted at all.
It’s not easy, and not everyone has it. So I'm definitely fortunate that I was able to stay in college that long and finish my master’s.
Dave Thomas:
Did you have a favourite class?
Payton Collins:
There was one. I had a favourite professor. It was a supply chain class, but the professor made it my favourite class.
Dave Thomas:
Did you have any interesting, off-the-wall classes?
For example, the University of Florida is now offering a Taylor Swift arts class.
Payton Collins:
I don’t think anything that crazy.
I did take a disease class. That was probably the craziest one. It was just learning about different diseases, health control and stuff like that.
That was probably the craziest class I took.
Dave Thomas:
Did you take any marketing?
Payton Collins:
Yeah.
Dave Thomas:
A little marketing. So, if I said to you the catchphrase or marketing phrase, “Kiss a little longer,” what product am I talking about?
Payton Collins:
“Kiss a little longer?” I don’t know.
Dave Thomas:
What’s your nickname?
Big Red Gum. “Kiss a little longer.”
Okay, who was the first person to call you Big Red and get away with it?
Payton Collins:
I think it was my high school coach. I’m pretty sure.
When I started, I was super skinny in high school, but I started to sprout up and obviously had the right hair. I think he was the first person to call me Big Red.
Well, it started as Little Red, actually. We had a guy who was a senior, and he was a redhead. But when he graduated, I moved up to Big Red.
Dave Thomas:
Fair. Fair.
Dave Thomas:
Okay, you’re from Ohio. So why didn’t A.J. Ouellette and Trevor Harris offer you a ride to Riderville? Because they drove up here.
Payton Collins:
I lived in Kentucky with my fiancée, so don’t blame them.
Dave Thomas:
Do you think they would let you drive? And if the three of you were in a vehicle, who would be the best driver?
Payton Collins:
Family and friends don’t think I’m the best driver, for whatever reason, but I think I’m pretty good.
I'd say Trevor’s probably the best driver. He’s the father of four, and he’s very protective and very safe, so I would have to go with Trevor as the best driver.
Dave Thomas:
Can you drive a standard vehicle?
Payton Collins:
No.
Dave Thomas:
Okay, a question for you.
What do Payton Collins and actor Lee Majors, who starred in The Six Million Dollar Man, have in common?
Payton Collins:
I don’t know.
Dave Thomas:
You’re both Eastern Kentucky graduates.
Payton Collins:
Yeah, absolutely.
Dave Thomas:
Okay, let’s play the game again. Let’s try this again. Let’s dial it up.
What do Payton Collins, actor James Cromwell, Barron Trump, Luka Dončić from the NBA and NHL goaltender Ben Bishop all have in common?
Payton Collins:
Same height. Six-foot-seven.
Dave Thomas:
Absolutely. Six-seven. The kids are doing it at home.
Dave Thomas:
So, being six-foot-seven, what’s the tightest squeeze you’ve ever had to fit into? I can’t imagine that air travel is comfortable.
Payton Collins:
Yeah, air travel is rough. I try to get the exit seat when it’s available, but if not, then I have to suffer through it.
But it’s not too bad.
Dave Thomas:
How often do you get asked how tall you are?
Payton Collins:
When I’m around football players, not that much, because everyone’s so tall.
But when I go away for the offseason and I’m around non-football players, I definitely get asked quite a bit.
Dave Thomas:
You alluded to Bishop Hartley High School, where you played football and basketball. Were you that good of a basketball player?
Payton Collins:
Yes. I’m a humble guy, but when it comes to basketball, I like to toot my own horn.
I could hoop, for sure. I can pull up the film if we need to.
Dave Thomas:
When offensive line coach Edwin Harrison has you doing one-on-ones, you do pretty well.
Is there a player on your team that you’d like to go one-on-one with on the basketball court?
Payton Collins:
D.J. Johnson, for sure. Daniel Johnson.
We talk about it a lot, and we sometimes play air basketball against each other. But no, it would be fun to go against him for real.
Dave Thomas:
You are an Eternal Colonel. That’s something to be very proud of. Explain what that is.
Payton Collins:
Basically, once you go through the Eastern Kentucky football program, you’re a Colonel for life.
No matter who the head coach is, who's on the staff, or what’s going on, you can always reach out if you need anything. You can come to any games, go to the locker room—you’re part of a family once you’ve been through the program.
I’m really proud to be part of that.
Dave Thomas:
Last one for you. Can you name one other Colonel?
Payton Collins:
Aaron Patrick?
Dave Thomas:
There you go. There you go.
We appreciate you, Payton Collins, for doing this.
That’s Behind the Face Mask.
