Collins was the basketball captain at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and remained active in basketball as well as baseball He was an NBA referee and NBA supervisor of officials, and a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers.
As a baseball scout, he worked for the Phillies for 27 years, and briefly for the Astros, Giants, Orioles, and Mets before his retirement in 1980. His discoveries included Del Ennis, Dallas Green, and Tommy Lasorda.
