Mack Hollins (born September 16, 1993) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
wide receiver for the
Atlanta Falcons of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football at
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
, and was drafted by the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in the fourth round of the
2017 NFL Draft
The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia ...
.
High school career
Hollins attended Robert Frost Middle School in
Rockville, Maryland and later
Thomas S. Wootton High School. After not receiving any scholarship offers out of high school, Hollins attended
Fork Union Military Academy
Fork Union Military Academy (abbreviated as FUMA) is a private, all-male, college preparatory military boarding school located in Fork Union, Virginia. Founded in 1898, Fork Union is considered one of the premier military boarding academies in th ...
in
Fork Union, Virginia
Fork Union is an unincorporated community in southern Fluvanna County, Virginia, along U.S. Highway 15. Its ZIP code is 23055; the population within that ZIP code was 1148 according to the 2000 Census. It is known mainly as the home of Fork Uni ...
, where he played with
Cardale Jones who led the
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tre ...
to the
College Football Playoff National Championship
The College Football Playoff National Championship is a post-season college football bowl game, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which began play in the 2014 college football season. ...
. Hollins received several offers to join teams, including a walk-on opportunity on the University of North Carolina football team if he could get accepted to the university on his own. In 2012, he was accepted into the school, and joined the team as a walk-on.
College career
As a freshman in 2013, Hollins was named special teams captain after appearing in all 13 games. He played on most
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
and as a reserve wide receiver. He finished the regular season with nine tackles and recovered a fumble against Duke.
As a sophomore in 2014 Hollins earned honorable mention All-ACC accolades after finishing with 35 catches for a team-high 613 yards. He also had a team-best eight receiving touchdowns. One of Carolina's best special teams players, he also had seven tackles and recovered an
onside kick
In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the ...
. He earned
ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
Receiver of the Week honors after catching two passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns against Virginia. Both touchdowns were over 50 yards (57 and 63), making Hollins the first Tar Heel to have two touchdown receptions of 50+ yards since
Hakeem Nicks
Hakeem Amir Nicks (born January 14, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at North Carolina, and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Nicks has also played for t ...
in 2008. Reeled in a 91-yard touchdown pass in the win over
San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
. The 91-yard scoring play with QB
Marquise Williams
Marquise Javon Williams (born October 5, 1992) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at North Carolina. Williams was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2016, later playing for the Saska ...
was the longest play by UNC in
Kenan Stadium
Kenan Memorial Stadium is a stadium located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is the home field of the North Carolina Tar Heels. It is primarily used for football. The stadium opened in 1927 and holds 50,500 people. It is located near the cen ...
history and third-longest play in school history.
[
As a junior in 2015, Hollins led all NCAA major college players with an average of 24.8 yards per reception. He caught at least one pass in all 13 games and found the end zone in seven different contests, including five of UNC's six wins ] He picked up his second ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
Receiver of the Week honor after catching five balls for 165 yards and a 74-yard touchdown in the win over Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...
. Hollins became the first Tar Heel
Tar Heel is a nickname applied to the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is also the nickname of the University of North Carolina athletic teams, students, alumni, and fans.
The origins of the Tar Heel nickname trace back to North Carolina's promi ...
to catch three touchdown passes since 2011 when he tallied three scores against Wake Forest. His first ACC
ACC most often refers to:
* Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US
*American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
Receiver of the Week honors of the year came after catching three passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
.[
]
College statistics
Professional career
Philadelphia Eagles
Hollins was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in the fourth round, 118th overall, in the 2017 NFL Draft
The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia ...
. In Week 2, against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had his first three career receptions, which went for 32 total yards in the 27–20 loss. In Week 7, against the Washington Redskins, he recorded a 64-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Carson Wentz
Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Wentz played college football at North Dakota State, where he won two consecutive NCAA FCS ...
. His 64-yard reception was the first touchdown of his career. Hollins also played heavily on special teams.
In 2018, Hollins and the Eagles beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII
Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conferen ...
, with Hollins primarily playing on special teams.
On September 6, 2018, Hollins was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury.
During the 2019 offseason, Hollins gave his jersey number, No. 10, to veteran DeSean Jackson
DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he was recognized as a con ...
, who had worn the number during his time playing in Philadelphia from 2008 to 2013. Hollins changed to No. 16.
On December 3, 2019, Hollins was waived by the Eagles.
Miami Dolphins
On December 4, 2019, Hollins was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
.
In Week 9 of the 2020 season against the Arizona Cardinals, Hollins hauled in an 11-yard fourth quarter touchdown pass over the head of his defender, helping the Dolphins to their fourth straight win. In Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hollins was ejected from the game after fighting Bengals players. In Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West div ...
, Hollins caught a 34-yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to set up the game winning field goal in the final seconds of the game.
Hollins re-signed with the Dolphins on March 23, 2021. On September 8, he was named one of five team captains for the 2021 season, as voted by his teammates.
Las Vegas Raiders
On March 17, 2022, Hollins signed with the Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West div ...
. On September 25, Hollins caught eight receptions for a career-high 158 yards and a touchdown, during a 24–22 loss to the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
.
Atlanta Falcons
On March 21, 2023, Hollins signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
See also
* List of NCAA major college football yearly receiving leaders
The list of college football yearly receiving leaders identifies the major college receiving leaders for each season from 1937 to the present. It includes yearly leaders in three statistical categories: (1) receptions, (2) receiving yardage; (3) y ...
References
External links
Miami Dolphins bio
North Carolina Tar Heels bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollins, Mack
1993 births
Living people
American football wide receivers
Atlanta Falcons players
Las Vegas Raiders players
Miami Dolphins players
North Carolina Tar Heels football players
Philadelphia Eagles players
Players of American football from Maryland
Sportspeople from Rockville, Maryland