Put A Fork In The Redskins

I was examining a Facebook post of mine from three weeks ago, one which was written as my favorite sports team was being blasted by about 20 or some points by (I believe) the Philadelphia Iggles. Two weeks later, my sentiment rings truer than ever, but here was the original rant.


"I'll always be a Redskins fan, but I think it's time to pack it in for 2013. Shanahans have to go. Without Elway, Red Lobster is basically Norv Turner as a head coach, but at 24-34 with the Burgundy and Gold, that's an insult to Norv, who was at least above .500 for his career after a miserable first year. (Defensive coordinator) Haslett should have been gone four weeks ago. No NFL defense should give up 31 points a game. Team needs a secondary, and some people who can tackle. Somebody also needs to get some control of Griffin, who is showing guts, but is in the process of enjoying a 4-5 year career from so many hits. I'm off to get some Chinese food."


Now sitting in the cellar of the NFC East, the Burgundy and Gold are sporting a pathetic 3-9 mark. To blame last night's loss to the Giants on a bad ref call is really to miss the big picture. Since Joe Gibbs left in 1992, the Skins have only made the playoffs four times in the past 21 seasons, and a couple of those were on the Gibbs II parade! The whole organization is in shambles. Aside from Ryan Kerrigan, is there anyone on this inept defense (still giving up 30.2 points a game) worth keeping for 2014? Will RGIII still be playing at 28, or will he become the quarterback equivalent of Gale Sayers - a massive talent with a blown out knee? Is Captain Kirk ever going to get another look behind center before some smart team scoops him out of DC? 

Amazingly, there is a faction of reporters who want to give Coach Shanahan and Son another year or two. The argument is that it would provide a stability to the organization. "Remember," they say. "He has a five year plan. After the salary cap clears up, things will be OK."

Did the five year plan include following up a 10-6 year with 3-9?

And is it just me, or was the salary cap error of several years ago a blatant act of negligance??? How come none of the other NFL teams seem to be suffering from this penalty? Could it be that Snyder and Co. were trying to pull an end-around and cheat the system - a mistake which is costing them dearly right now? If the answer is yes.. and I think it is, why hasn't anyone been in Ashburn been held accountable?

I could moan and groan about the sad state of Redskin affairs all day, but instead I find myself thinking of a simpler time, an era long removed, and I get a visual from the past. Who remembers these guys?

Give yourself another 5 bonus points if you can name them all. HTTR!!!!

(Answer to above picture - #89 Verlon Biggs, #55 Chris Hanburger, #72 Diron Talbert, #41 Mike Bass, #64 Manny Sistrunk, #79 Ron McDole, #32 Jack Pardee)

Howard Tops Hampton 42-39 in 2 OT To Win "Battle For the Real HU"

From Sunday DAILY PRESS sports - November 24, 2013


HAMPTON –

Hampton’s remarkable second half season turnaround ended on a crazy and bittersweet note Saturday. In a penalty filled contest, the Pirates spotted Howard a 19 point lead before rambling back to tie the game, but losing 42-39 to the Bison in double overtime.

Howard got on the board first, as halfback Anthony Philyaw found the soft spot in the defensive line and busted over the goal line from three yards out. The seven-play, 48 yard drive was escalated by Greg McGhee’s lob screen pass to Clayton Gidron, which netted 20 yards on third-and-seven from the Pirate 45.

The Bison (6-6, 4-4 MEAC) had an immediate opportunity to pad another touchdown to the lead, but couldn’t convert from first-and-goal at the nine, settling for a 33-yard field goal by John Fleck, which completed the first quarter scoring.

The Pirates rallied to open the second quarter, as freshman quarterback Bryan Bailey, enjoying some time in the pocket, found Y-back Antwon Chisholm open over the middle from 18 yards out, to give Hampton its first touchdown of the afternoon.

Leading 10-7, the Bison marched back, capping a ten-play, 68 yard drive with a two yard plunge into the end zone by Philyaw, who finished the game with 104 yards on 32 carries.

Penalties plagued both teams throughout the game, as the two squads combined for 30 flags for almost 280 yards/.

But it was the Bison who played with more urgency in the first half, even employing a fake punt on fourth-and-one from their own 22, which succeeded, as Fleck found a gap in the seam for 15 yards, and the first down.

Philyaw found the end zone for a third time, finding room around the right end and scampering in from the nine yard line. A Fleck field goal at the end of the half gave the visitors a 26-7 lead going into the locker room.

Hampton found their first boost early in the third quarter, with Rayshad Riddick overcoming tight coverage to pull down a 20 yard pass from Bailey in the left corner of the end zone, closing the gap to 26-14.

Pirate coach Donovan Rose was optimistic about his team’s chances, even as they faced a 19-point deficit at halftime.

“I knew we were going to come back,” said Rose. “We showed some resiliency. Even today, we had opportunities. It feels bad because we had a chance to cement this. (In the future) we have to learn how to finish and learn how to close.”

The Pirates got back in the game late in the third quarter. Bailey, facing a strong rush, lofted a ball forty yards down the left sideline, in the direction of Twarn Mixson. The ball was underthrown, but Mixson came back, made contact with the defender, and caught the ball, galloping the remaining twenty yards for an unlikely score. The lead, once close to insurmountable, was cut to 26-21 after the Fleck extra point.

But the damage wasn’t done. Howard’s next drive for the end zone was stopped suddenly as Pirate safety Justin Blake picked off McGhee’s end zone bound pass at the 2-yard line, and returned the ball 43 yards. Offsetting penalties gave Hampton the ball at the Bison 45.

Bailey’s first pass down the left sideline was dropped, as was the second. But on the second, an attempt to Riddick, pass interference was called on Howard, giving Hampton a 16 yard gain and first-and-ten from the 28. Two plays later, Bailey’s quarterback keeper from the 18 gave the Pirates their first lead of the day, 27-26 with 10:29 remaining. Marcus Hampton rushed into the end zone for the two point conversion, giving the Pirates a three point edge with 10:22 remaining.

Pirate cornerback Khambrel McGee intercepted McGhee on Howard’s next possession, but Jorrian Washington was stripped of the ball at the Bison 29 and Howard recovered the fumble with just less than nine minutes to play. The Bison drove to the Hampton 3, but on third-and-goal were forced to use their least timeout with 3:29 remaining, rather than face a delay of game penalty. McGhee’s pass into the left corner of the end zone was dropped as the receiver hit the ground. But Fleck’s third field goal of the afternoon, this one from 20 yards, evened the score at 29.

After several running plays, Hampton opted to run out the clock, forcing overtime.

The Pirates won the coin toss, and elected to defend first. As overtime rules dictate, the Bison started from 25 yards outside the goal line with four downs. While the Hampton defense held tough, McGhee drilled a pass to Brandon Flanagan from the three for a touchdown.

Down by seven with the ball on the 25, the Pirates needed only two plays to score, a 20-yard pass to Mixson, followed by a five yard touchdown run by Marcus Hampton, and Prevost’s extra point evened the score at 36.

On the second round, Hampton received the ball first, but only gained one yard on the first two plays. However, a Bison offside penalty gave the Pirates five yards, which turned out to be costly as a three yard run was followed by a two yard gain on fourth-and-one, extending the Hampton drive. Two more penalties left the Pirates with second-and-20 at the 25. Bailey’s quarterback keeper made up 14 of the yards, but the ensuing pass went incomplete. Prevost’s 29 yard field goal attempt was good, and the Pirate lead went to 39-36.

On the next Bison possession, McGhee found Philyaw in the left flat and the true freshman sprinted down to the six. Two plays later, Philyaw broke around the left corner and found the end zone for the game winning score, his fourth.

After starting the season 0-5, the Pirates battled back into contention for a possible third place finish in the MEAC by winning four of their next five contests. The loss concluded their season with a 4-8 record (4-4 MEAC). The fifth place finish, tied with North Carolina A&T and Howard, is still better than the ninth place finish predicted for the Pirates in the pre-season MEAC rankings.

And Rose remains optimistic about his team’s future.

“We saw some positive things today. A lot of our guys are going to get better as they get another year (of experience). We just need to learn how to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s.”

HOWARD 42, HAMPTON 39

HOWARD  --  10. 16, 0, 3, 7, 6 -- 42

HAMPTON  --  0, 7, 13, 9, 7, 3 -- 39

How – Philyaw 3 run (Fleck kick)

How – Fleck 33 FG

Hamp – Chisholm 18 pass from Bailey (Prevost kick)

How – Philyaw 2 run (Fleck kick)

How – Philyaw 9 run (kick failed)

How – Fleck 29 FG

Hamp – Riddick 20 pass from Bailey (Prevost kick)

Hamp – Mixson 56 pass from Bailey (Prevost kick)

Hamp – Bailey 18 run (M. Hampton run)

How – Fleck 20 FG

How – Flanagan 2 pass from McGhee (Fleck kick)

Ham – M. Hampton 5 run (Prevost kick)

Ham – Prevost 29 FG

How – Philyaw 4 run

        Howard   Hampton

First downs;       33, 17

Rushes-yards;   58-277, 39-178

Passing yards;   254, 180

Comp-att-int;   25-47-2, 12-17-0

Penalties-yards; 15-119, 15-159

Punts-avg;       3-43.3, 5-40.0

Fumbles-lost;   1-0, 1-1

Team Mom #3, Nina Robinson Buoys St. Augustine's "Falcon Boosters"

As printed in the Hampton, Newport News and York Co./Poquoson Town Square sections of the DAILY PRESS on November 14, 2013.

Last Saturday, some of the members of the St. Augustine University athletic family threw a party to thank one of their own.

For Nina Robinson, the celebration made for a day she’ll never forget.

An example of one of the causes which the Falcon Boosters support. As noted on their Facebook page -- "Here are 60 reasons to give $60 to the SAU 60 Day Movement. Our goal is to raise $150,000 by December 31, 2013 to help students bridge the financial gap that many are facing. Falcons, we CAN do this! Donate today! Tell your family and friends to donate! Make your online donation at http://bit.ly/SAU6060. #SAU6060"

Robinson lives a double life. By day, she is a senior logistics analyst for a military support contractor in Newport News. But for the past four years, she has been spending her autumn weekends making the drive from Hampton to Raleigh and other points due south, while dressing up in the blue and white of the Falcons as a 757 parent booster.

She’s not the only one.

“We (St. Augustine’s football) have a total of 18 players from Virginia, and eleven from the 757,” says Robinson, whose son Chaz, a former Phoebus standout, recently broke the school’s career tackle record. “I started a group called the 757 Falcons Parent Boosters, and we wear matching shirts.”

Their involvement goes beyond simply donning blue and white and cheering in the stands.

“We have become surrogate moms and dads to other players who are not as fortunate as our sons. And we make sure they have their necessities, such as toiletries, etc.”

Over the past several years, the booster club has turned into a bona fide support network, gaining parents from other states, and encompassing other Falcon sports. They host a Facebook site, 

“Saint Augustine's University - 757Parents Booster Club,” which boasts 57 members. While the posts may offer best wishes to a football player, such as Michael Oliver, who recently had shoulder surgery, there are also posts noting the school’s cross-country team winning the CIAA title and volleyball coach Nikki Bynum Bumpass winning the conference Coach of the Week award for the second straight week.

All of which led to last Saturday’s party.

The occasion was Senior Day, and the St. Augustine’s family pulled out all the stops. For Chaz, this included not only a visit from Mom and brother Anthony, but also three of his high school basketball and AAU coaches.

But the biggest surprise was waiting for Nina.

“Oh my God! The school president (Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber), Coach (Michael) Costa, and the football team and parents surprised me with an appreciation dinner after the game for starting the 757 Parent Boosters. It was beautiful. I cried the whole time because of all the comments people made. I did not know they loved me like that!”

One look at the plaque presented to Robinson shows that indeed, they do love her like that.

“Nina Robinson – Thank You for being TEAM MOM #3 (Chaz’s number)”

“Your heart, your cheers, and most of all, your presence and support made a difference to the 2010 to 2013 football program.” Presented by St. Augustine’s University, Falcon Football Program, November 2, 2013.

Many of the pictures from the dinner made it on to the Facebook page, drawing comments from other parents, such as, “That was sweet, no doubting your support,”  “You deserve it SUPER DUPER MOM,” and “Stop crying you big baby!”

Says Robinson in a parting thought, “We really have become one big family.”

Robinson Breaks St. Augustine Career Tackle Record

As published in the Hampton and Newport News Town Square editions of the November 7th DAILY PRESS. Robinson needs 13 tackles today to also break the single season record at St. Aug's.

Capping what has already been a stellar season, Hampton’s Chaz Robinson recently broke the career tackle record at St. Augustine’s College.

While at Phoebus HS, Robinson was a start linebacker,
but also scored numerous touchdowns as a fullback

Robinson, who won three state titles as a standout fullback and linebacker at Phoebus, set the record on October 19, in a game against Winston-Salem State. Entering the game needing three tackles, Robinson crushed the record with a 13 tackle effort, albeit in a losing cause for the 3-5 Falcons. After last Saturday’s contest against Fayetteville State, Robinson has 384 career tackles, and is now only 23 short of the Falcon single-season record with two games left..

Robinson broke the previous mark of 363 set by Kevin Jones, a former All-American linebacker and current St. Augustine’s safeties coach. The Falcon single season record of 125 tackles is held by Tyrone Pettaway, a linebacker who was named CIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and set the record in 2004.

His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. He has been selected CIAA linebacker of the week four times in seven weeks, while his 12.8 tackle per game average ranks fourth in Division II.

And the best may be yet to come.

Says Robinson, “(My goal) is to pursue my football opportunities at the next level and the chances of being an NFL player.”

At 5’11” and 225, Robinson is considered smallish at the linebacker position. But his ambition is not unprecedented. By comparison, Sam Mills, who started at linebacker for 12 years in the NFL, played his college ball at Division III Montclair State in New Jersey, and stood a mere 5’9”. The Redskins London Fletcher, who has made the past four All-Pro teams, is 5’10” and also came from a Division III background, starring at Ohio’s John Carroll University.

Assessing his own style, however, Robinson doesn’t necessarily stick to linebackers as his influences, citing “the aggression of Ray Lewis and ball pursuit of (Steelers safety) Troy Polamalu” as the player he aims to become.

While the future is bright, Robinson’s past is even more miraculous. In fact, miracle is part of his existence. Literally.

Almost twenty-one years ago (birthday on November 8^th), mother Nina Robinson, pregnant with her second child (older brother Anthony also won two state championships as a Phoebus lineman in the early 2000’s), was diagnosed with uterine fibroid tumors, which put her painful pregnancy in jeopardy. To ease the pain, her doctors prescribed morphine, which alleviated the pain, but put her newborn in danger of addiction and other harmful side effects.

Amazingly, when Robinson was born, he was eight pounds, 22 inches and suffered no unusual side effects.

So he was formally given his name – Chaz Miracle Allen Robinson.

Robinson’s college recruitment process was also rugged. Initially, a few BCS schools, such as Marshall and East Carolina showed interest. Several FCS schools were also involved in the process.

But as the time to make a decision wound down, so did the number of offers.

“At the end of my recruitment, St Aug was the only school that still wanted to give me an opportunity to play college football. (Accepting) wasn’t appealing over any larger school; it was the only appeal I had left to hold on to.”

In spite of his professional playing aspirations, Robinson is prepared for life after Saint Augustine’s football. Next June, he will earn his Bachelors of Science degree in Sports Management. Graduate school, and the pursuit of a Masters in Sports Management, is also part of his larger plan. There will be a successful life ahead, whether it includes football or not.

If Robinson pursues his next degree with the ferocity that he pursues opposing ball carriers, the only certainty is that some team will be calling for him in the near future, either as a linebacker, or a member of the front office.

And that would not be a miracle.

From TrackSide Magazine - Issue 3 - "Time Stands Still" - Johnny Gray 800 Meter American Record Holder

For most of the 1980’s and early 90’s, Johnny Gray was the best middle distance runner in America. The California native made four Olympic teams (1984-1996), and won a bronze medal in his signature event, the 800, at the Barcelona Games of 1992. Years earlier, in 1985, Gray set the U.S. record in the 800 with a time of 1:42.60, a standard of excellence that has now held up for twenty-eight years.

(Right video) Johnny Gray
setting the American standard
of 1:42.60 back in 1985. No one
has broken the mark in 28 years.

Since retiring from competition soon after the turn of the 21st century, Gray has made his mark as a coach, first at UCLA, and now Central Florida where he is working with the distance runners and assisting head coach Jeanette Bolden. Now 53, he first earned his coaching stripes as the mentor for Santa Monica Track Club teammate Khadevis Robinson, who won five U.S. championships under the tutelage of Gray, who won seven of his own. This year, he has been instrumental in guiding the careers of 800-meter runners Maz Okoro and Duane Solomon, both of whom were seeded among the favorites at the recent World Championships in Moscow.

His working relationship with Solomon, 28, is especially noteworthy, mainly because the mentee has an excellent chance of breaking Gray’s AR, having already clocked a 1:42.82 last year.

XXX

Chip Jenkins, is a gold medal winning member of the 1600-meter relay team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Although Jenkins didn’t race directly against Gray (“Johnny didn’t dip into the 500 and 600 too often”), his accomplishments bridge the careers of both Gray, the runner and Gray, the coach. Now an intellectual property attorney in Washington, D.C., Jenkins was one of Gray’s contemporaries, and now at 49, watched earlier this summer as Solomon broke his American record of 1:15.80 in the 600 meters, a mark that stood for 26 years.

Jenkins recalls watching Gray race in the 80’s. “What strikes me about Johnny Gray was that he always ran within himself. It's great that he imparted upon Duane the same knowledge and habits to win consistently indoors and out.”

Even though it meant losing his American record.

XXX

To read the rest of this article, please go to page 34 at trackside3.tracknation.com

The Karate Kids of Yorktown - Meet the Park's

For the four Park children of Yorktown, taekwondo is more than a family affair. In fact, based on their recent performances at state and national level meets, the kicking quartet, who range in age from five through 11 and train at World Martial Arts gym, have become a familial force to be reckoned with.

(Right) Grand Master Ko
demonstrating his ability
to break hard objects in
1988 video

Calera, the oldest, is a student at Tabb Middle school, and probably the most accomplished right now, having scored her first national title last July at the U.S. National Taekwondo Federation championships in Chicago.

“She was the first to start,” says Johnathon Renner, WMA manager and coach. “It must have been tough for her, being the oldest and having younger brothers following.”

Fortunately, Renner is not alone in the dojo, as four other coaches, and until recently, two interns, are also available at World Martial Arts to oversee each athlete’s progress. All teaching is conducted under the watchful eye of Grand Master Pyong Tuk Ko, himself an eighth degree black belt with over 30 years of teaching experience on the Peninsula. Grand Master Ko, a former president of the Virginia State Taekwondo Association, was honored by then-President George H.W. Bush in 1992 for his work as the tournament director of the 18^th National Championships, which served as the Olympic qualifying match and was held at Hampton Coliseum.

The three young Park men – Edmond, 8, Andrew, 7, and Benjamin, 5 are bunched closer in age, but also perform at a high level. Like their sister, both Edmund and Andrew have earned their black belts, while Benjamin is in probationary status.

Yet the youngest Park sibling is making a lot of noise, having placed third at the Chicago tournament.

“(Benjamin) is probably the youngest guy I’ve ever seen do this. What he can do at that age is unbelievable,” says Renner.

Expanding on the thought, Grand Master Ko added, “You can see the hard work that the students put in. To see the skill and precision that the young people display is admirable.”

Three other World Martial Arts students – Connor Marsell, Kirsten Marsell, and Ben Bashore, also qualified for Nationals.

But there’s more to WMA than the activity which occurs on the mats. One of the staples of the gym is its after school program. Renner feels the program helps the students to prioritize.

“We’re making sure their focus is on self-control. They know that school comes first and this comes after.”

Four vans make their way around York County, stopping at numerous schools to pick up most of the 70 students who participate each day. The afternoon sessions consist of a one-hour class, followed by thirty minutes of mandatory homework and reading.

Other classes offered at World Martial Arts include a variety of options such as hapkido,  weapons training, tai-chi, yoga, personal training for weight management and performance enhancement for elite athletics.

World Martial Arts & Fitness is located at 2115 George Washington Memorial Highway (Rte. 17) in Yorktown, VA (just south of Wal-Mart). For more information, please call the gym at 757-867-5085 or visit their website at www.kostkd.com.

More About Manteo

Congratulations to Manteo Mitchell, who was last week's feature on the "Wall." He was recently selected to the Western Carolina Hall of Fame. To my surprise, he contacted me and asked for help with his biography, which I assume would be used in the ceremony and program. I pulled some stuff together. Turns out I had assumed the bio was supposed to be brief, and thankfully, he made some additions which truly pulled everything together. For the record, here's what I had.

Manteo Mitchell (’09) is easily one of the most famous athletes in Catamount history. While running for Western Carolina, Mitchell broke school records in the 200 and 400-meter runs, and also qualified for the NCAA championships seven times. Soon after graduating, Manteo became the first athlete in school history to become an Olympian, earning a spot as a 4x400 meter relay runner.

The relay finished with a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics, but it was Manteo’s gutsy effort in the qualifying race that made headline news around the world. Halfway through his 400-meter leg, Manteo heard a crack in his leg. In spite of the pain, he courageously finished his lap, learning later that he had broken his fibula midway through the race. His story reached hundreds of millions of worldwide Olympic viewers, and even drew a comment from President Barack Obama, who called it “one of my favorite stories from the Games,” while Manteo was an honored Olympian guest at the White House.

Mitchell has also earned a world championship, for his part on the gold medal winning 4x400 relay at the indoor World Championships in 2012.

For his career at Western Carolina, Manteo’s highlights also include being a four-time Southern Conference MVP, five conference team championships, seven NCAA-All region athlete honors, and winner of the Joe Hunt Award, for being the Outstanding College Male Athlete at Western Carolina.

However, it is his recent work that is drawing notice, as Manteo has become a well-respected motivational speaker, delivering his testimony of “FaithFocusFinish” to dozens of youth and civic groups. His inspirational story was recently featured in a cover story of TrackSide magazine (trackside3.tracknation.com).

Mitchell, who runs for Nike athletics, was also recently selected for sponsorship by BP, the former British Petroleum Company.

Excerpt from TrackSide Magazine - "Manteo Mitchell: FaithFocusFinish"

From the Fall 2013 issue of TrackSide magazine, available now at trackside3.tracknation.com.

Manteo Mitchell ran 200 meters of a relay on a broken leg
at the 2012 Olympics, but that's not what he wants to be
remembered for.

Manteo Mitchell is leading a paradoxical life. He is an American professional athlete, and Olympic silver medal winner. At track meets, he is known by sight and as an inspirational speaker; he has delivered more than 60 testimonies of faith and hope. He even has a mantra which he is happy to share – that being “Faith, Focus, Finish.”

The problem is, Mitchell’s road to celebrity came as the result of a tough break, more specifically, the one in his left fibula as he ran a leg on the U.S. 1600-meter relay. In a twist of irony, he was introduced to track as the result of another bone injury, this one a complete break in his left radius bone, which ended his senior high school year of football in the second game.

While Mitchell would have preferred to find fame in another manner, there is no question that his heroic act of not being “that guy” and finishing his leg on the track at London has helped him find an audience.

Now it’s time for the real work to begin.

“FaithFocusFinish”

The casual observer might be prone to believe that this trite, but meaningful, saying was added to the quarter miler’s vocal repertoire soon after the London Games, when his name was on the lips and typing fingers of many a reporter.

Nothing could be farther from the truth....

(Continued on page 16 at trackside3.tracknation.com.)

Manteo Mitchell’s website can be found at manteomitchellusa.com, and he is also on Twitter @manteomitchell and @OlympicFaith (FaithFocusFinish.)

Denbigh's Hollis Continues Football Life in Finland

From Daily Press Newport News Town Square edition of September 26, 2013. This is the original version before editing -- in other words, not adjusted to fit within a certain space .. laugh.

For Dwayne Hollis, perseverance has been his key to success.

(Right) On the video wall, Hollis
returns punt for a Rooster
record 93 yards

As a 5’8”, 125 pound sophomore at Denbigh High School in the mid 2000’s, Hollis was judged as too small to play football. A couple of his coaches tried to steer him toward cross-country, figuring that his slight build and natural speed would be better suited for trails, rather than pads. But the youngster refused to yield to adversity. Even while attending several distance running practices, he continued to mold himself into a football player, eventually tacking on 25 pounds and earning his way into the starting Patriot lineup as a senior cornerback.

Simultaneously, he also grew into a standout track athlete, competing in the short sprints for a Denbigh team that finished the 2007 outdoor season with a fourth place state AAA finish. Part of that success came from Hollis’ ability in the pole vault, where his drive for excellence helped him to develop into a 13-foot vaulter.

Although he had speed, the size was still lacking. But the word quit never entered the vocabulary of the Newport News native. He found a spot on the Division III North Carolina Wesleyan football team. Little by little, his skills honed and his physique grew. But the speed always worked to his advantage. Hollis became a return man, and by his sophomore year, he had scored a touchdown by interception, punt and kickoff return.

Hollis' final two years served only to bolster his status as a one man human highlight reel for the Bishops.

The accolades piled up. He became the first NCWC player to earn All-American honors, as a defensive back. Hollis was also chosen as a Beyond Sports (BSN) All-American as a return specialist. For his senior year, Hollis, now 5’9“ and 165 (about the same size as Redskins Hall of Famer Darrell Green), recorded four interceptions (one returned for a TD), 46 tackles and a fumble recovery, while averaging over 13 yards per punt return and 24 for each kickoff return (with three more touchdowns). It was hard not to notice the speedster, and his accomplishments earned Hollis a spot in the Division III Senior Bowl.

It also earned Hollis a great connection. Wide receivers coach Kevin Burant had worked for a year with the Helsinki Roosters and received a call from his former colleagues asking if he knew any potential return specialists. The link was made and a flight was booked.

Hollis immediately noticed that professional football was lower key in Finland. Along with a 10-game season, there was a more laid back attitude.

“We practiced about three times a week and usually played on weekends. I enjoyed the nightlife sometimes.”

He also got introduced to coaching, working with the younger Roosters team.

Although Hollis didn’t arrive until the fourth game, he made an immediate impact, helping Helsinki maintain an undefeated record while defending their Maple Bowl title with a 52-31 win over the Helsinki Wolverines. Despite his late start, Hollis led the Roosters in all-purpose yards with 883, and scored six touchdowns in seven games – four as a wide receiver and two on returns. In the championship game, he caught five passes for 96 yards and a 50-yard touchdown.

The best may be yet to come.

“I’m about to get an agent,” says Hollis, ready to continue his professional aspirations, whether they be in the Arena Football League, or Canada. But, the ultimate goal remains the NFL.

For now, he is putting his newfound coaching skills to work, helping with the defensive squad at his high school alma mater, which got off to a surprising 2-1 start. For Hollis, it was a natural extension of his football experience.

“Every summer, I trained for college football at Denbigh H.S.. I was going to coach there before I left (for Finland).

Overall, Hollis is pleased with the opportunity to continue his football career.

“It was good to go to another country because not too many people go to Europe, let alone to play the sport they love.”

What was most surprising about Finland?

“It was different because a lot of people walk and ride bikes everywhere. One thing that I found shocking is that they don’t use traffic lights on Sunday. And they use kilometers, not miles.”