Bob Collins joined the Indianapolis Star in 1948 while a student at Butler University, and became the newspaper's sports editor in 1964. Collins covered every major sporting event in the United States and in several foreign countries. He was a founder of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and the Indiana Pacers.
Collins was highly recognized in the state for his coverage of high school basketball. In addition to winning many awards for his sports writing, including Indiana Sportswriter of the Year several times, he wrote the humor column "The Lighter Side" for 30 years. Collins won the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame's Silver Medal and is also a member of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.