Omaha, Neb. ? Former Nebraska running back Thunder Collins was convicted Monday of first-degree murder and other charges stemming from a September 2008 shooting in Omaha that left one man dead and another seriously wounded.
The Douglas County jury also found the former Cornhuskers player guilty of attempted second-degree murder and two weapons counts. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison for the first-degree murder conviction.
As Collins left the courtroom, he yelled at the jury of six men and six women, “Are you happy? Are you happy? You know I didn’t kill anyone!”
Collins was arrested last September shortly after two California men were shot in Omaha. One man was seriously wounded, and 38-year-old Timothy Thomas was killed.
Prosecutors said the shooting stemmed from a botched drug deal in which Collins masterminded a plan to rob the men.
Collins’ attorney argued that prosecution witnesses were lying.
Collins played for the Cornhuskers from 2000-02. He quit the team after being suspended four games for an undisclosed NCAA rules violation, and he has had a string of run-ins with the law since.
Originally from Los Angeles, Collins was a junior college All-American in 1998 who was touted by recruiting analysts as the next in a long line of great Nebraska running backs.
But Collins never lived up to his hype. His best season was in 2001, when he played in 12 games, ran for 647 yards and five touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 189 yards.
A brief stint in the CFL followed Collins’ days with the Cornhuskers.
Sentencing is set for Nov. 12.