Because the expression was uttered in the mucky arena of politics by a polarizing figure, it never received a fair hearing even in the half of the world built on the mandate to love thy neighbor, but, in reality, it actually does sometimes take a village to raise a child.
That helps explain the sudden NFL Draft rise of TCU defensive end L.J. Collier, whose name is being floated as first-round talent.
Leading up to the April 25 draft, Collier has a number of visits to teams who want to vet him.
Christel Shahan will be with him literally or in spirit every step of the way.
A guiding hand in helping mold teen into man has been Shahan, who has filled the role of mom to Collier, who lost his mother, Ruby, three years ago. Shahan met Collier as his teacher his freshman year of high school in Munday.
The community is firmly in Collier’s corner, starting with the Shahans, Christel and Kevin and their two children.
Collier is a member of Shahan’s family, and her family are members of his.
They speak daily. Shahan and Collier’s father, Lawrence, have been his rock.
“I’ve seen the potential from Day 1,” said Christel Shahan during TCU’s Pro Day for senior football players trying to make an impression on NFL scouts. “He saw the potential. Not many other people saw it. [The task] has been keeping him on track to continue to see it. It’s exciting. He’s a big deal in our small town.”
Collier is a 4-3 base defensive end prospect, who many scouts believe has the requisite size and power for the job.
His hometown is a smidge under 1,300 three hours west of Fort Worth.
There is no such thing as rush hour. A blinking stoplight installed a few years back represented progress. In relative terms, it was to Munday what the moon landing was for mankind.
The most famous resident of Munday is Orville Bullington, an ardent antibody — anti-communist, anti-integration — and a Robert Taft man in 1952, who failed in his effort to thwart Miriam “Ma” Ferguson election as governor. His legacy is cloudy, at best, and not because his cousin was Sen. John Tower’s first wife.
So, yes, Collier is about to become Munday’s most notable citizen, if he isn’t already.
The Collier family are Munday sports legends. His father, Lawrence, and uncles Perry and Terry – better known as the near mythical “Collier Twins,” who played at OU — were all football stars there.
Lawrence set the school record in the 100 meters in 1981.
L.J. is taking accomplishment to a new level in the family after flying under the radar as a college prospect in high school. He received only two offers to play FBS college football. He initially committed to Texas Tech. Coming from a school of about 100 students – the 25 who made up his class were seven fewer than players who will be drafted in the first round – and starring in Class A football probably didn’t help impress college coaches, even with a Class A Division II state championship in 2012.
Collier would be the second Munday Mogul to play in the NFL.
Glenn Amerson, a quarterback mostly at Texas Tech in the late 1950s, is Munday’s only NFL player. He was a defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagle for just a short spell. More recently, in 1992, wide receiver Anthony Stinnett, also from Texas Tech, was an undrafted free agent with Atlanta, but he didn’t stick out of training camp.
“It’s exciting. There’s a lot of talk about figuring out a way to have this party or that party,” said Patrick Cochran, Collier’s football coach at Munday. “More than that, just a sense of pride that someone from here is making the way into that.
“The fact that he’s going to fulfill a kid’s dream coming from Munday, Texas, is a big deal.”
He is also defensive about his hometown, eager to prove “that I can play with the best no matter where I came from.”
“We’re all pulling for him,” said James McAfee, editor of the Knox County News-Courier. “It seems like the whole town.”
Unlike his high school recruiting, Collier is not having any of the same issues with pro scouts taking notice after impressive showings at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, but he hasn’t forgotten that slight as a college recruit.
At TCU, Collier had a career-high six sacks as a senior. He also had 11.5 tackles for loss. He also had four pass breakups, best among defensive linemen.
At the Senior Bowl, Collier measured 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds with 34 2/3-inch arms, and he could just about wrap his arms around Munday with an 81 1/4-inch wingspan.
“A lot of guys who were five stars, six stars aren’t in the position I am now,” said Collier, channeling a bit of Ali. “A lot of those big-name guys, I outworked them. I believe I am the best defensive lineman in this draft. I’ve shown it at the Senior Bowl with the best of the best, the best offensive linemen in the country. I think I proved everything I needed to prove. I proved I was athletic, I proved I could drop and catch weighing 280 pounds.”
It could have all been derailed. Growing up is a perilous business. People, especially kids, often need help making important choices.
When he needed to improve his scores on college entrance exams, it was Shahan who tutored and encouraged him. That is where they bonded. She worked with him all summer between his junior and senior year. Shahan, now a school counselor at Munday, taught science at the time.
“The relationship grew out of that,” said Cochran. “The fact she was willing to put in that time on him. And he also made the commitment to be here when he needed to be here. They accomplished that.
“She has been someone to lean on. He could also just trust her to tell him the truth. There’s a lot of folks who just tell kids what they might want to hear to keep them going. That’s not necessarily what he needed. She would tell him the truth. She’s been a big part in what he’s doing. Maybe the biggest part.”
When his mother got sick, Shahan was a constant presence, a guiding star, Collier’s sort-of Blind Side.
“He was a funny guy, made you laugh but could also work your nerves at times,” Shahan said laughing. “As a 14-year-old … they know how to push your buttons, just like my 13-year-old son does now. So, he prepared me for that.
“He’s fun, loving, and a kindhearted and caring guy. Never meets a stranger. Never.”
Shahan and her husband were special guests at TCU’s Pro Day on Thursday.
She was a reluctant interview for media. It’s not her style. Her and her family’s role in Collier’s life is a selfless concern. It’s what they’re expected to do.
But when asked who were the biggest influences in his life, Shahan is right at the top, along with his family.
“I had a lot of support,” Collier said. His father and Shahan “have been a big part of my life. They’ve been with me every step of the way. If I needed to vent or talk they’ve been there for me. They’ve been a great support system and helped me through this a lot.
“She has been there to help me through things. And talk about stuff. I love her kids, I love her husband. They are like family.”
