Collard is a graduate of Northern High and Michigan State University. He starred in American Legion baseball and in 1951 he was named the most valuable player at the state tournament. At MSU, in 1953, Collard was named the most improved player on the freshman team and a year later he helped the Spartans capture the Big Ten Conference championship. Additionally, he was the City Class A batting champion four consecutive years (1960-1963 ).
