 At Great Lakes, Collier went regularly to observe the practices of the station's service football team, the Great Lakes Bluejackets. There he met Paul Brown, who had left a head coaching job at Ohio State University to serve in the Navy and lead the Bluejackets team. Collier took notes and hoped to pick up some football knowledge he could use when he returned to Paris. Brown, however, noticed Collier's dedication and brought him onto his staff as a volunteer assistant.
