La'el Collins Not Worried About Lost Money

Collins lost out on millions by going undrafted last weekend

During a press conference about as emotional as you’ll see at Valley Ranch on Thursday, La’el Collins declared that he isn’t worried about the millions he missed out on by going undrafted.

The Cowboys gave Collins what they can, but there are restrictions on what an undrafted free agent can be paid, and he ended up with a $21,000 signing bonus and a deal worth $1.657 million guaranteed over three years.

This is peanuts compared to what he would have received had he not, just before the draft, been called upon for questioning in a murder case in which he is not a suspect or a person of interest. But Collins is just happy to be playing football, happy he’s being paid to do so, and figures he has a prime opportunity to set himself up for a big payday in the future.

I’ve thought about it, but it’s not even about the money,” Collins said, per Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas. “I never played the game for the money--I play the because I love the game, I play the game because I’m passionate about it.

“Just to be here, I’m still getting paid. And at the end of the day, it was way more than I was getting in college. It’s a plus. It’s a great situation. What’s for me is going to be for me. The money, all that, that’s cool. If I handle my business and this team handles the business that we know we’re going to handle, that’ll come.”

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