Former Oregon State quarterback/receiver Seth Collins says living in Corvallis contributed to his health problems, a case he successfully made in landing an NCAA eligibility waiver that allows him to play at Texas Tech this season.

During his three-year tenure at Oregon State, Collins was sidelined by mononucleosis, bacterial meningitis as well as a broken finger. Collins asked for, and received his release from the Beavers program last December.

Collins then transferred to Texas Tech, where he is eligible to play this season, rather than having to sit out a season, after winning a request from the NCAA for a health-related waiver. Collins' case was largely based on a claim that Corvallis' weather climate impacted his health.

"The environment, the weather, the temperature - all that in Corvallis, Oregon - it wasn't good for my immune system and all that, so health-wise it wasn't good for me to be there," Collins told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

"It was just numerous different health things. I felt like it was the weather, the environment. Mentally, physically, it wasn't healthy."

Collins, a 6-foot-3 junior, plays inside receiver for the Red Raiders.

Collins was a headliner among Gary Andersen's first Oregon State recruiting class in 2015. He was immediately put into action, starting at quarterback for the Beavers' first six games as a freshman. Andersen decided to go in a different direction at quarterback, and Collins transferred to Northern Illinois following the 2015 season, only to return to the Beavers later in 2016 to play receiver.

Collins then suffered from a bout with meningitis, then last season played in just three games before sitting out the second half of the season with mononucleosis.

On the same day Collins was granted his release from the Oregon State football team, he was charged with a fourth-degree assault of a 19-year-old woman, a misdemeanor.

--Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel