Hey, Notre Dame fans, you probably know senior wide receiver Beaux Collins, but did you know his life could be an appealing blockbuster like a James Cameron movie? Well, he’s not just a football star, but an artist too, and his story’s got a Picasso vibe. Beaux started drawing at just 5, learning from his dad. So yeah, he’s a beast on the field but also an artist at heart. When he joined Clemson, even head coach Dabo Swinney called him “advanced” and “natural.” In his freshman year, he caught 31 passes, racked up 407 yards, and scored three touchdowns. Cool, right? But there’s more—his personal life is just as interesting!

On December 16, 2002, a new member was added to a family of four: Dad D’Andre Collins, mom April, and their two children, eldest son Cameron and a daughter Tyler. Growing up, Beaux had the advantage of learning from his super cool dad, who was an artist and an athlete. Young Beaux would sit with his dad and watch him draw pictures. He’d try to copy those drawings, and that’s how he first learned to draw. And he’s still at it today! “I’m not like a Picasso or anything, but I would say I am pretty good at drawing,” said Beaux, who desires to draw cartoons and comic book characters.

Beaux’s dad, D’Andre Collins, was a linebacker at New Mexico State and he also used to coach on the prep level that helped Beaux begin his football journey starting at his home. He’s so attached to his son that he pushed him to enroll early in college when schools were shut because of COVID.  

“I can’t imagine my senior year, not being able to play football, not to have a prom, and not to go to dance,” his dad even noted. And according to D’Andre, his son spent most of the year taking online classes and only attended school for workouts. That’s when something sparked in his mind. “Should he become an early college enrollee?” That’s how Beaux altered his plan of going to Clemson in January to join early.

Interestingly, that’s when 2300 miles apart distance from their son started taking a toll. D’Andre being a tough dad was willing to drop him off the campus and move back to California. But his mom, April, interwind and gave him a reality check. “you would have sworn I was getting a divorce. What are you talking about? We are going to stay.” After all, a mom’s heart can’t stand her kid being alone, and April got so antsy about it. What if he needs anything? What if something occurs? Thoughts like that came to her mind, after which they decided to stay in Clemson.

When his family could not see him daily, they figured out a way. They used Facetime to talk with him and said it was better to see him instead of only talking to him. Especially Collins’s elder siblings are his biggest cheerleaders. They would Facetime daily and make sure Beaux was out of any problems. In fact, they are happiest watching Collins become successful in his football career, starting from Clemson to now being a wideout for Notre Dame.

Beaux Collins’s journey beyond playing football

At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, Collins began his football journey at St. John Bosco High School. Afterward, as we know already he transitioned to Clemson and played there till last season. Coming to 2024 Beaux Collins decided to transfer to Notre Dame for better opportunities. “There’s no other program with the exposure and respect they have week in and week out,” Collins said after committing to Notre Dame. Another thing that caught his attention was head coach Marcus Freeman’s expertise. To that, he loved joining his fellow teammates and aims to win the national championship any day soon.

Besides that when he transferred to Notre Dame he was still studying his online classes for a business course at Clemson. Added to that, Beaux has so much interest in reading books which keeps him focused. But do you have any idea how he ended up being a philosophy fan? Well, it’s his girlfriend Alia Logoleo, a sophomore at Tennessee who was passionate about reading philosophy.

Last summer, Collins was all about books! He raved about this book called ‘As a Man Thinketh’ by James Allen as one of his favorites. He would read a page whenever he found himself at a crossroads, be it physical or mental, he found solitude in Allen’s book. Besides that, him being a stand-out player at Clemson and now at Notre Dame has so much talent to offer his team and he continues to contribute in the ongoing college football season.

Well, Beaux is on track to be a great football star, but until then, why not learn more about the college game? Our interview with Doug Sanders on ES Think Tank is a great place to start.