PRINCE'S PURPLE REIGN: THE BELIEF & STRENGTH OF 2021'S PRINCE KOLLIE

Updated: Jul 29

BY LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

Once I realized Prince Kollie was always a big-time target for the LSU recruiting staff, the answer became obvious as to why:

Yes, he is a great linebacker, however the young man can fulfill the duties of four different positions with elegant ease, tearing it up all across the state of Tennessee on every side of the ball (he even returned a single kickoff for 70 yards):

Encompassing mic and weak side linebacker, strong safety, wide receiver and running back, David Crockett High's Prince Kollie blew the competition away in 2019:

Prince totaled a filthy 68 receptions for 1,085 yds at wide receiver (15.1 yards per catch) grabbing 13 TDs, ran the ball for 500+ yards & 5 TDs at running back, and while playing strong safety & linebacker he produced 78 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 7 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles and 4 recovered fumbles...

There's a reason why the young man is a myth in the state of Tennessee....and Coach Orgeron has been well aware of Kollie for a long time.

Hailing from Liberia, his parents came to the United States and settled in Jonesborough, Tennessee where Prince grew up, excelling academically and starring on the football field thanks to his natural athletic grace and ease of movement.

But as you'll read from Prince's own words below...not everything has been easy for #21 as he continues to come of age in the Northeastern Tennessee town.

When we see him on the football field we're witnessing a dynamic creature of habit, dissecting and anticipating plays with a second to none pre-snap diagnosis (only Sage Ryan can compare with Kollie's pre-snap reads within this 2021 class), he has fascinating aerial ability and fantastic coverage skills regarding 50/50 balls, fighting off the hands of receivers while anticipating their next move with his superior instincts from his time at wide out;

Prince possesses galloping, intergalactic side to side speed, a motor which never stops and a high octane impact paramount to his hitting capabilities.

You want to know what kind of football player Kollie is?

His junior year he produced 78 tackles, ran for 500+ yards, caught over 1,000 yards receiving, ripped an interception outta the sky and clocked the Richter scale into submission with a seismic 15.1 yards per catch all in the same season....who else totals such crazy numbers all in the same year???

Only NFL stars...which sets Kollie's versatile physical attributes in rarified company.

Kollie is the complete athlete, a dynamo...and exactly the kind of person with the right kind of mentality Coach Orgeron's Tigers love to recruit:

Prince is a pure do-it-all football player with such high football IQ, he could take his pick from a list of any number of different positions.

With a love for bruising physicality, an unshakeable work ethic, an unbreakable family motivation and an unstoppable competitive fire, there is no question LSU must zero in on Kollie, a young man of integrity, intense heart and on-field superiority:

During 2020 and 2021, Prince Kollie will be a Hurricane of Imminent Domain....

Watch him once...and you won't be the same:

LONN: Prince, how's your Friday?

What's your favorite LB role to play? Middle, outside, edge rusher? You seem to do it all.

PRINCE: Sir, honestly I like to do it all, my answer to that is I will do whatever is needed of me and gets me on the field the fastest

LONN: You are impressive Prince, where is LSU ranking for you as you come down to decision time?

PRINCE: LSU is definitely being heavily considered

LONN: You were strong at WR and very productive at RB too, nearly 2,000 yards combined in the air and ground at Davey Crockett High. What does this tell us about you as a player?

PRINCE: A lot of people know me on the surface but what they don’t know is that every blessing I have gotten has come from the GREAT man above and I am nothing without him, I believe that is one thing that separates me from ALL the other recruiters in this class ...for me as a player I will excel in anyway possible.

LONN: How has God touched your life, Prince? On and off the field?

PRINCE: Well my family and I are from West Africa, my parents had very hard times over there but then they were introduced to God things took a turn for the better. It’s a blessing for me to be in America knowing some of the troubles I would have back in Africa.

My parents have done a great job of letting me know that at the end of the day Jesus is lord.

Another reason Is I live in the oldest town in Tennessee called Jonesborough.

No one around here nas EVER received the offers I have had and that is another reason my faith is so strong.

I was always told "you can’t do it from there you have to move" this that and the other, but I stuck to the plan God had for me and now, the young men around now know that anything is possible with God.

LONN: As a young black man, what challenges have you faced in Jonesborough, Tennessee?

PRINCE: Oh plenty, hate is a real thing in this world and it’s sad that it’s simply because the next person may be a different color than you.

A quote which comes to mind for that is “LOVE is the only thing that can drive out hate”.

I’ve been called names but I know how to ignore them and even turn it into motivation.

Racial profiling has happened to me before but once again God has kept me going through the hard times. I try not to think / talk about those type of things much ...at least for right now

LONN: that's fine i'll respect that.

How have your parents helped you through those hard times and helped you to have a 100% legitimate chance at the NFL someday?

PRINCE: My parents are big on education which is bigger in the long run and like I’ve said faith, but I know for a fact they would be more than happy to see me playing on Sundays😁

LONN: And you're thinking the offensive side of the ball is done for you?

It's gonna be all defense from here on out? You had 15 yards per catch and 1,398 receiving yards! You looked unstoppable in the red zone. What is the one position you'd want to play if you could nail it down to one?

PRINCE: That’s a really good question that I’m not sure if I know the answer to lol ...like Isaiah Simmons said “ I play Defense”

LONN: Prince, has it been Bo Pelini mainly recruiting you for LSU?

PRINCE: I talk to all of them quite a bit, especially Coach O

LONN: Orgeron taking an interest in you specifically is a great sign. Any date on your commitment, Prince?

PRINCE: No commitment date yet.

LONN: Is the Isaiah Simmons "free role" or as we like to call it the "Tyrann Mathieu role" what Orgeron is looking to have you play if and when you come to Baton Rouge?

PRINCE: We’ve not really gone into depth about it but I believe so right now. All I know is some sort of LB.

LONN: Thank you Prince! We know you're geauxing to have a huge 2021 and we cannot wait for your commitment announcement. Wherever you geaux, they'll get to be around a fantastic human being.

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

#JUSTICEFORBREONNA #BLACKLIVESMATTER #JUSTICEFORBERNARDO

GEAUX TIGERS

SHOUTOUTS TO: Prince Kollie, thank you my man! Terian Williams II you're the man, Rashad Davis Sr and Jamie:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE CHAVANNE @BayouTigerGal!!!!

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