ATH Tyler Collinsworth is one of the best players from the Katy, Tx area in the Class of 2022.
Collingsworth, a wide receiver and safety, plays at Thornton Junior High.
One of Collinsworth’s coaches had some lofty praise for the 5-foot-9 athlete, comparing him to the GOAT of wide receivers.
“He reminds me of Jerry Rice,” Coach Michael Jordan said. “He does all the little things.”
Youth1 spoke to Jordan and Collinsworth himself to learn a little more about the standout athlete.
Name: Tyler Collinsworth
Class: 2022
Position: WR/S
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 135 pounds
School team: Thornton Junior High
Youth League teams: Katy Cardinals, Katy Sun Devils, Thornton Patriots
What he likes about playing football: Its fast pace and physical contact adds more excitement than other sports.
What playing football has taught him: It's taught me that wise decisions matter, and my decision making will determine the results I get, on and off the field.
Favorite football memory: In my team’s 6th grade championship game, I believe I played an important role by scoring the only touchdown in a very tough defensive game. I also made a game-saving interception on our opponent’s last offensive drive.
His approach to being a good teammate: I try to lead by example and going 100 miles per hour on every single play of the team. This is to show my teammates that being discouraged isn’t an option.
What he’s learned from his coaches: My coaches have taught me that anything less than 100% is unacceptable, and in between the white lines it doesn't matter who's in front of me. I will play my game, not theirs.
Favorite player: Antonio Brown because of his technique to get around defenders. It allows him to stay one step ahead of the defense.
His mindset at wide receiver and safety: At wide receiver it’s to make big plays and score every time I touch the ball. At safety, it’s reading the field, analyzing the play and being a ballhawk.
Favorite subject: Texas history, because I find our state’s culture and history very interesting.
Colleges he’s interested in: Texas or Oregon
His goals on and off the field: With football, my goal is to be the best player I can be. Outside of the game, I find that when I encourage others to "go for it", and they see that they can accomplish "whatever" that goal was, it almost feels like I accomplished it. That feels pretty good to me.
Coach’s take
Michael Jordan - Coached Collinsworth since the first grade with the Katy Sun Devils and Katy Cardinals
Best qualities as a wide receiver and safety:Tyler is a natural athlete. His route running is one of the best that I've seen at this age group. As a wide receiver he has great separation ability. He's not the fastest but very smooth. On defense he has a knack for the ball. He’s a very smart-headed player.
Football IQ: Tyler has the ability to slow the game down. He plays under control at all times. His football IQ is very high. On offense he uses a defender’s alignment to get an advantage. He know how the adjust on the fly according to the defender. On defense he studies alignment of the offense to get where he needs to.
Leadership abilities: He’s a very shy kid. He's a very hard worker at practice. He is definitely a big-game player. So I would say he leads by example.
An example of his big-play ability: The kid is a big-game player. If the ball is close I will put my money on Tyler any day. It's amazing to see him play in the clutch.
Work ethic: He won't let nobody outwork him. A lot of that comes from his family background. His dad is a boxing coach and he believes in outworking your opponent.
Areas of improvement: Tyler is such a natural player. He would sometimes take a backseat instead of taking the game over. But a lot of that comes because he's team first.
Collinsworth’s potential: The kid has the wow factor. He’s a very special kid. He’s a 2-sport player. He has the skill set to be a 2-sport player in college. I see him at a D1 college. He’s an honor role student and very respectable kid with a very bright future.
Speak with a Youth1 Recruiting Counselor
How can we help? Your concerns are ours.
Youth1’s Recruiting Counselors are on a mission to educate you on the recruiting process - a process that starts early and is very competitive! Let us provide guidance through the most important decisions shaping your athlete's journey in sports.
Schedule a time to speak with a Youth1 Recruiting Counselor. It's FREE!
Stop waiting to get recruited!
Recruiting Wizard puts the power into your hands. Click here to learn how.
This article was written and posted by one of our talented contributors. If you think you've got the writing, research and social media skills to join Youth1's freelance team then send a resume and writing sample to [email protected] for consideration.