Woman speaks out after being punched by Purdue football player outside bar

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - 22-year-old Holly Fullerton was outside of "Where Else?" bar and Brothers bar when she said a clearly intoxicated Sean Collins approached her and her friends.

Fullerton said Collins tried to start a fight with her male friend so she says she stepped in front of Collins.

"I put my hand straight out and said please step back," Fullerton said.

Fullerton said Collins was so intoxicated, he fell down and said when he got up, he grabbed her arm and then struck her left cheek with his fist.

"He hit me so hard that I hit the corner of the building I was standing by and scratched up my elbow then fell flat on the concrete," Fullerton said.

Fullerton said she was conscious but dazed after being hit. She said a West Lafayette firefighter saw the incident and stopped to help. West Lafayette Police also responded to the battery call outside of Brothers and "Where Else?" bar early Saturday morning and ultimately arrested Collins.

"The police did make an arrest for battery resulting in serious bodily injury also resisting law enforcement and public intoxication," West Lafayette Police Sgt. Matt Coddington said.

Fullerton was taken to Franciscan St. Elizabeth Central Hospital to get her head, jaw, and arm examined. Fullerton was released later Saturday morning but said she is in a lot of pain and she's struggling to understand why this happened.

"I'm very, very sore right now. I have never been hit before, never and I was just so stunned. I almost feel like I'm still on the ground. I'm just struck."

Collins was released from Tippecanoe County Jail Saturday around 2:15 p.m. after posting bond.

Collins walked-on the Purdue football team in 2009 and was on the roster for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Purdue Associate Athletics Director Tom Schott said Collins is suspended from the team as of right now. Schott said they are still in communication with police to see if further action needs to be taken.