Two Scots football legends were welcomed into the Ring of Honor during halftime Friday, Sept. 30. David Richards, Class of 1984 and Jack Collins, Class of 1958, were honored for their outstanding athletic achievements over the years. Each athlete was awarded a commemorative football along with a plaque listing their achievements.
David Richards, Class of 1984
Richards was an All-State Offensive Tackle who was named the Parade Magazine National Offensive Player of the Year in 1983, the first and only time the award has ever been won by an offensive lineman. He went on to star at SMU and UCLA before being drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 1988. Richards played nine years in the NFL for the Chargers, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons and won an AFC Championship in his final year with the New England Patriots. He was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He and his wife, Laurene, raised their family in the Park Cities and still reside just down the street.
Jack Collins, Class of 1958
Collins was one of the best athletes ever to play at Highland Park High School. He played four sports and was captain of the football and baseball teams. In 1957, as a starting running back, punter, kicker and safety, Collins led the Scots to their second state championship amassing more than 2,000 yards of offense and scoring 148 points. Following graduation, he moved on to the University of Texas where he started as a running back for the Longhorns for three years and led Texas to two SWC co-championships. In 1960, Collins was pictured on the cover of the inaugural issue of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine and, in 1992, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. Collins and his wife Nancy currently reside in Austin, TX.