The Knight to Cats Blog

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Collier Drayton

Collier Drayton was born a natural leader.  Our favorite personality on the average teams of the early decade, we grew to love Collier's antics on and off the court.

You all know what happened on the court: suffocating defense, a court vision in dishing the ball nobody at NU has ever had, and a desire to win we've only seen matched by the Great Jitim Young.  Maybe my old age is getting to me, but I remember Collier putting that punk Rick Rickert into his place with a raised fist.  We know Collier is a pacifist, but sometimes the hammer had to come out…
Rickert, a highly touted recruit, was never the same, and currently has one foot off the ledge playing for the Colorado 14ers.

Off the court, Drayton was untouchable.  He brought the NU student body to life like no athlete besides Sam Simmons ever has.  I was fortunate enough to once be at a party with Collier one summer.  As the evening wore on, and people departed, a hearty group of 5 of us settled around a half-finished Keg.  With true grit and determination Collier locked the door to the apartment, and wouldn't allow anyone to leave until this here keg was finished.  Charging onto the battlefield, Collier led our weary crew to a complete hand-slapping victory.  Unfortunately, and to no fault his own, there were too few hand-slappers on the court in Collier's day.  But he leaves a blueprint for what an NU point guard should and better be.