East Central Hornets remembering Collin Stockman

Gone, but never forgotten, the East Central High School football program is remembering the late Collin Stockman who passed away in a car accident on New Year’s Eve.

Yesterday, the coaching staff finished preserving his locker at the field house, illuminating his entire game day uniform in a plexi-glass display case.

Head Coach Eric Collins says the memorial will honor Collin’s memory for several years to come at least until this current group of varsity players has come and gone.

It’s kind of fitting his legacy is in such close proximity to his personal safe haven, a weight room of his very own. Outside linebacker Dez Fairley said, “He was one crazy joker. He always loved the weights.”

Head Football Coach Eric Collins said, “I’ve got a funny story about that is when I first got the job, somebody was taking the lock off the front door, and I’m like man, who’s got the lock? And after practice, Collin came to me and said, man, I’ve got the lock, Coach, man, I’m sorry.”

DT/ MLB Tyler Killingsworth said, (“Coach said at one point he stole the lock cause he didn’t want to go a day without lifting, did you know that?”) Yes, he did. He did steal the lock.” (“And how long did it take Coach to figure it out?”) About three or four days. He told me maybe five minutes after he stole it.” (“And then a few days later, Coach was like, alright?”) Yeah, a few days later I was like Collin, you might as well go give the lock back to him. And he was like, okay, might as well.”

(“So, he figured it out pretty quick?”) “Yeah, he figured it out pretty quick. And I said, what are you doing? Why are you taking the lock? He said, man, Coach, I just don’t want to go a day without lifting. I’ve got to be in here lifting. And I said, listen, man, I appreciate that, but you’ve always got to have a spotter and you can’t just sneak in here. So give me the lock and whatnot and everything was fine, but that’s how much he loved the weight room. He just wanted to be in here. And like I said before, I think the weight room was one of his happy places.”

“It’s like everybody said, to know Collin was to love him.”

As a class of 2021 senior, Stockman played tight end and later defensive end for the playoff bound Hornets.