Austin Collie Explains Differences Between Playing With Tom Brady, Peyton Manning

SALT LAKE CITY – Former BYU wide receiver Austin Collie had a unique opportunity during his five years in the NFL. He played with two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Collie’s time with Manning included a Super Bowl appearance with the Indianapolis Colts and time catching passes from both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning

Austin Collie caught passes from two of the all time #NFL greats.

He tells us the differences in catching a pass from Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. pic.twitter.com/f6dDBGssPs

— Unrivaled w/Alex Kirry & Scott Mitchell (@KSLunrivaled) February 10, 2022

Very few players can say that they caught passes from the all-time greats. Collie joined Unrivaled and shared his thoughts on recently retired Brady and the things he learned from playing with Manning and Brady.

“I was blessed for sure,” Collie said. “Getting to play with those two and all the nuggets I was getting on a daily basis as far as what preparation looked like, how to prepare, and the work ethic it took for them to be great. The experience that I had directly with those two I pull a lot from because the teachings that they gave me aren’t only just teachings that are applied in football and on the field, but in everyday life. No matter what type of profession you’re working.”

One of the things Manning is known for was his “Omaha” call at the line of scrimmage. Collie remembered that from his years with the Colts.

“It was a protection call. Typically, the way that we did it was that everything was named to the right and then you had a name category to the left,” Collie said. “I forget what it was for us at that time, but it may have shifted the protection, either the left or the right. It was a legit call back in the day, and I’m sure it meant something entirely different when he was in Denver when he got all that attention.”

One of the big questions everyone wants to know was who threw the better ball, Manning or Brady? Collie’s answer leaned toward Brady throwing a better spiral, but Manning was more on point with the location.

“Tommy could zip it. He could flick it,” Collie said. “He threw a tighter spiral and had a little bit more velocity behind his ball. Peyton, I’d say there wasn’t a person that threw a more catchable ball than Peyton, right? Just in the right spot and maybe it was a little bit wobbly but man, it was like catching a watermelon.”

Going To A Super Bowl As A Rookie

Super Bowl week is either a great or not-so-great week for NFL players. Collie was fortunate enough to go to the big game as a rookie with the Colts, but his team fell to the Drew Bress-led New Orleans Saints, 31-17.

“I was fortunate enough to do that my rookie year, have that experience my rookie year,” Collie said. “At that time, I was just trying to get my gears and kind of take in everything that I could just being a rookie in that huddle, playing with that quarterback and some of the other Hall of Fame players in that huddle, let alone trying to take in the fact that I was going to a Super Bowl.

“It was all kind of just happened extremely fast and really didn’t have that opportunity to really take in what the experience was like in the present. Now that I’m away from the game, it just gets worse. Worse every year. You realize the importance of it.”

Had concussions and injuries not occurred, Collie could have ended up in multiple Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

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