Former Nebraska running back Thunder Collins said Thursday he felt no remorse for the death of a suspected drug dealer as he was sentenced to life in prison for his part in the killing.
Collins, 30, also was given a total of 110 years on other counts in connection with the shooting that left 38-year-old Timothy Thomas dead, including attempted second-degree murder, assault and two weapons charges.
Another California man, Marshall Turner, was injured in the September 2008 incident that prosecutors said stemmed from a botched drug deal in which Collins had planned to rob the men.
Collins turned toward the gallery and smiled, shaking his head, when Douglas County District Judge Gary Randall announced that the sentences were to be served one after the other.
He apologized to Thomas’ family during his statement to the court, but said he felt no remorse “because it could have easily been me.”
Collins reiterated his innocence. “It’s hard for me to show remorse … for a crime I didn’t commit.”
His attorney Steve Lefler said Collins planned to appeal the conviction and before he was led from the courtroom in shackles the athlete said, “I’ll see you in 18 months, judge.”
Collins caused a stir at his trial in August following the guilty verdict, when he shouted at the jury, “Are you happy? Are you happy? You know I didn’t kill anyone!”
Another man, Karnell Burton, has also convicted in the shooting. Burton was found guilty last month of manslaughter, attempted murder and other felonies and faces up to 240 years in prison. He will be sentenced in January.
Collins played for the Cornhuskers from 2000-02. He quit the team midseason saying he couldn’t afford to keep playing and needed to focus on taking care of a younger brother, whom he moved from Los Angeles to Nebraska to protect him from gangs. His decision to leave followed a four-game suspension for an undisclosed NCAA rules violation.
He also had a brief stint in 2003 with the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League.
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 the 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.
Collins has had several brushes with the law, including in 2006, when he was sentenced to 10 days in jail after he pleaded no contest to obstructing an Omaha police officer. Witnesses said Collins had been involved in a shooting, and police found marijuana in his pocket.
In 2003, he was acquitted of assault and burglary charges in Corvallis, Ore., that stemmed from accusations about an alleged confrontation with an ex-girlfriend and an Oregon State football player.
In 2002, Collins pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace in Lincoln. That was part of an agreement with prosecutors to drop two assault charges connected to alleged fights with the same woman in Lincoln.
