Green Bay Packers release safety Nick Collins

GREEN BAY -- The Green Bay Packers released safety Nick Collins Wednesday, April 25th.

Collins was selected by the Packers with the first of two second-round selections (No. 51 overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft. He went on to appear in 95 games (all starts) at free safety during his seven-year career in Green Bay. During that time, he amassed 498 tackles (388 solo), 21 interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns, 83 passes defensed, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

From 2008-10, Collins ranked second among all NFL players with 439 interception return yards and was tied for second among safeties with 17 INTs over that span. In 2008, he set a franchise record with 295 INT return yards and became the first NFL safety since 1986 to return three INTs for TDs in a season.

In 2010, Collins became the first Packers safety since LeRoy Butler to earn a bid to three consecutive Pro Bowls, and capped his season with a 37-yard INT return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLV. He missed just three games in his first six seasons in the league, but was sidelined for the final 14 contests of 2011 after suffering a season-ending neck injury at Carolina in Week 2.