What’s left for someone who has excelled in every level of their craft but the top one?
Alexander Hollins has seemingly done it all on the football field.
He dominated at both Yazoo City High and Yazoo County High, earning accolades at both stops.
After high school, he jumped to Copiah-Lincoln Community College, where he became one of the premier wideouts in the country.
He even had a cameo on Netflix’s Last Chance U when he burned a defensive back for a touchdown.
His stock was high, and he was a wanted commodity.
Things can change in an instant, however, and it was an instantaneous moment that nearly derailed his true collegiate career before it could begin.
“In my sophomore at JUCO, I was being recruited heavily by a lot of schools, but I had an ankle injury that caused it all to go downhill,” Hollins said. “I only missed one game and played the last two, so that was unfortunate.”
All of the schools who called, wrote, and visited Hollins disappeared seemingly in an instant. The world of college football can be a fickle beast, and injury concerns seem to hover around players and can be hard to shake.
All except one.
“In the end, Eastern Illinois was the only one to offer me, and of course, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to play football for a full ride to further my education,” Hollins said.
All Hollins needed was an opportunity to change his life, a small crease to slip through, a moment in time where things worked out perfectly.
Eastern Illinois gave him just that, and that opportunity, combined with the warm greetings from his coaches and teammates, made Charleston, Ill., feel like home.
“It felt like a second home immediately,” Hollins said. “The players treated me like I was already family. The coaches were all so welcoming. Why would I say no to a place like this? Things worked out well for me.”
While the greetings in Charleston were warm, the weather was not, especially when Hollins arrived in January.
Yazoo City isn’t exactly known for its cold weather. The summers can be sweltering, and what little cold weather does come quickly dissipates when the sun regains it vigor in the spring.
Illinois is, well, frigid.
“It was cold when I first got here,” Hollins said. “I called my dad and said, ‘Dad, I think I made the wrong decision.’ But I slowly adapted to it. Over time, it got better, and while I’m not a cold weather guy, I got used to it.”
It wasn’t just the actual temperature that took getting used to.
Playing in those conditions is a different beast entirely, and for a moment, the elements got the better of Hollins.
“I pulled my hamstring on the first day of practice because I wasn’t used to running in weather like that,” Hollins said. “I felt good and stretched good, but I just popped my hamstring. I missed most of the spring for that, but I was able to come back for the final two practices and the game.”
Of course, it wasn’t just the elements he was tasked with overcoming.
The mental and physical adjustments were also required.
“The biggest difference between high school and college was that the playbooks were more complicated,” Hollins said. “You really had to study them, and we held each other accountable for that. The game was also faster. Things were moving so fast early.”
But as fast as the game was and as extensive as the playbook was Hollins adapted, as he always had.
He was listed among the top newcomers in the Ohio Valley Conference and made the 2017 OVS All-Newcomer Award.
Hollins wanted to go beyond what was asked of him, what was asked of anyone in the OVC, and become an NFL player.
That dream was dependent on him having a monster senior season, and with few games to truly showcase his talents against NFL players, an early season contest against SEC foe Arkansas became an opportunity of a lifetime. He was going to be lining up across from players who would get strong looks to play on Sundays.
Hollins stepped up to the challenge and created waves across the country.
In a loss, Hollins caught nine passes for 127 yards with three touchdowns.
The game was the first big game of many, and he ended the season with 80 catches for 1,102 yards and 16 touchdowns, which was enough to place his name in the conversation for an NFL look.
It wouldn’t be an easy path, more work would have to be done to even get his foot in the door, but when was it ever?
The first step would be to get into an all-star game after the season.
Even with the help of his agent, that proved to be impossible.
The College Gridiron Showcase in Fort Worth, Tex., however, proved to be in the realm of possibility.
Hollins was further exposed to scouts, trained, and went through courses designed to help prospective NFL players survive and thrive in the world of professional football.
After the Showcase, Hollins began training with a trainer in Indianapolis to help prepare him for pro days at nearby schools since he wasn’t invited to the official NFL Combine.
He signed up for a pro day at Northwestern and Western Illinois.
Only a select few from the 48 non-Northwester athletes would be able to stay for the entire showcase, and it was all dependent upon a singular test that gauges a singular skill: speed.
That singular test? The dreaded 40-yard dash.
It’s safe to say nerves can arise from such a situation.
“I was actually nervous the day before,” Hollins said. “I was so nervous I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking I would oversleep and miss the pro day. When the day came, I wasn’t nervous. It felt like another training day with more people there.”
Hollins ran a 4.48, cementing his spot in the pro day, where he impressed scouts.
At Western Illinois, Hollins was afforded an opportunity to improve upon his earlier numbers, and he did just that. He jumped 37” on the vertical, three inches higher than the previous pro day, and ran a 4.18 on his agility drill, up from a 4.54.
He did all of this while catching every ball thrown to him at each pro day.
The work he has done has caught the eyes of potential suitors.
The Chargers, Vikings, Colts, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Cardinals, and the Ravens have shown significant interest in Hollins, but he is open to playing for anyone who will give him an opportunity.
Background checks and interviews have been done, and the performances have been noted. All that’s left to do now is wait.
For Hollins, a prospective 6th-7th round pick or an undrafted free agent, there will be no major party or a flight back down home.
He’ll sit in Charleston with the teammates who helped make it all possible, battling nerves along the way.
“I’m going to be sitting at home watching the draft,” Hollins said. “I won’t be doing anything spectacular. Some of my teammates will come over and hang out with me. I’ll be holding onto my phone. I’m sure I’ll get nervous the day of or the day before.”
He’s done everything he possibly can for the betterment of his career, so now he’ll simply trust the process.
“I trust and believe in the process,” Hollins said. “I was able to show what I could do for an NFL team. Coming in as a rookie, I’d want to come in, learn, and work as hard as possible. For now, I’m still working out every day and catching balls as much as possible. Whether I get a draft call or sign as an undrafted free agent, I just want the opportunity.”
So, what is next for someone who has done it all?
Tune in to the NFL Draft this weekend to find out.
