Jaguars honor Collier

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Wearing a Jacksonville Jaguars warmup shirt and a huge smile, Richard Collier drove off the field in his new motorized wheelchair Thursday night as fans chanted his name amid a standing ovation.

Collier responded with a thumbs-up, an emotional moment for the player, his teammates, coaches and fans. It also may have offered some closure on a situation the Jaguars never really recovered from this season.

"I was telling people, 'Believe it or not, this is the happiest I've been my whole life,"' Collier said. "I've learned a lot. I've grown from this situation. I've surprised myself how I've come out of it. I feel really good."

Collier, a 6-foot-7 offensive lineman paralyzed from the waist down following a shooting in early September, returned to the field Thursday night and was recognized during pregame ceremonies. He drove onto the field, sat next to his teammates during the national anthem and then headed to midfield as an honorary team captain for the coin toss.

He answered a few questions afterward, then went to a luxury suite with family members to watch the game between Jacksonville and Indianapolis.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier joins his teammates on the sidelines for the national anthem before the Jaguars' NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008, in Jacksonville, Fla. Collier was paralyzed from the waist down following a shooting in early September. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Collier's left leg was amputated below the knee after he sustained 14 gunshot wounds just days before the season opener. He returned to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium for the first time since the shooting Wednesday and spent time around teammates and in the locker room. He hung out with fellow linemen in the film room and the meeting room. He also spoke to the team after practice.

"I didn't give them a pep talk," he said. "I just talked about how their prayers and support really got me through while I was in the hospital. Just told them ... 'Live your life because it's short. Enjoy life and take it all in."'

Collier spent more than five weeks in a hospital and spent the past two months at a rehabilitation center in Jacksonville.