Background
A Texas native, Collins was born in the small city of Weatherford, a longtime seat of Parker County.
baseball player chief of police
A Texas native, Collins was born in the small city of Weatherford, a longtime seat of Parker County.
Collins batted and threw right-handed. Attending Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University, Collins was a four-sport star, chiefly known for his ability as a football punter. He was on the team when the heavily favored Longhorns took the field against the Aggies in 1915.
Collins punted the ball twenty-three times that afternoon for an average of fifty-five yards per kick, that resulted in thirteen fumbles by Longhorns’ return mentor
One fumble set up the only touchdown scored that day, a run by Collins. The final score was 13–0.
In 1919, Collins became a starting pitcher for Double-A Dallas Rangers of the Texas League. A year later, he joined the New York Yankees.
He finished his major league career with the Saint Louis Browns in 1931.
Rip and his former Texas Agricultural and Mechanical Aggie teammate Topper Rigney both played together for the Detroit Tigers from 1923 to 1925. In an 11-season career, Collins posted a 108–82 record with 569 strikeouts and a 3.99 European Research Area in 1712-1711/3 innings pitched. Collins returned to the Texas League in 1933 to play one season with Fort Worth Cats and then retired from baseball.
Following his playing career Collins joined the Texas Ranger Division.
He was elected Travis County sheriff in 1940 and served for eight years. Then became police chief of the Brazos County city of Bryan in 1950 and retired from law enforcement work in 1959.
In the first years of Little League Baseball in Bryan, Chief Collins was one of the first managers. Collins died in Bryan at the age of 72.