Mack Hollins is a Tua Tagovailoa believer going into 2021
By Mark Carman
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Mack Hollins is excited about what he is seeing from Tua Tagovailoa this offseason.
Miami Dolphins fans who are worried about Tua Tagovailoa after his five-interception minicamp performance should not be concerned. That is according to fifth-year receiver to be Mack Hollins who sees a young quarterback making his way in the NFL methodically.
“Tua is going to be a great player. He puts in the work,” Hollins told FanSided.
Hollins would know what hard work is all about. The former walk-on at North Carolina has had to fight for everything he has received in his football career. He is renowned for trying to win every drill in practice.
“Anybody at the top will tell you they put in a lot of work,” Collins said. “There is nobody that is in the Hall of Fame because they lucked into it or they just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
Hollins come from a hard working family. His oldest brother graduated from Stanford and is now working towards his MBA at Harvard. Meanwhile, his younger brother is a Marine and is attending Columbia University.
“On the totem pole I’m probably at the bottom success-wise,” Hollins said. “But I’m always fighting for more. It’s tough competition in the Hollins house.”
Hollins work ethic has included bonding with his quarterbacks. He connected with Tagovailoa on a beautiful timing pattern touchdown pass last year in a fourth-quarter comeback win at Arizona.
Hollins believes more of those are coming for Tagovailoa because of his continuing work in the NFL classroom.
“He (Tagovailoa) understands the offense,” Hollins said. “Thats the biggest thing I think at the quarterback position that I’ve seen over my five years. You walk out of the huddle and you’re seeing a defense and you’re like I already know who is about to be open. If he is not open I know for sure this guy is going to be open. That is the stuff he is starting to pick up on and it’s exciting to see.”
However Tagovailoa and Hollins perform in 2021, they are certain to receive direct and honest feedback from their head coach Brian Flores. Hollins thinks the treat-everyone-the-same-approach is the key ingredient in Flores’s success.
“He (Flores) don’t care if you are the top dog or the bottom feeder,” Hollins said. “He is going to bring you up in meetings — ‘this ain’t the s*** we do.’ If you are on the practice squad, he is going to congratulate the same way if you scored the game winning touchdown.”
Hollins will be trying to impress his coach again on a one-year contract. The improved Dolphins roster has added first round draft pick Jaylen Waddle and Will Fuller to a more crowded and talented wide receiver room.
Hollins will be attempting to contribute wherever he is asked and perhaps enjoy his NFL experience a little bit more.
“It’s funny when you are in the moment you don’t really realize what is going on in the moment,” Hollins said. “You take a step back and I realize I came out of North Carolina five years ago and I’d say probably 80 percent of the guys that even made it to the league of that group isn’t in the league anymore. Wow. I’m still kinda chugging along getting to play a children’s game at the end of the day.”
Positive attitude and hard work — a formula that keeps working for Hollins.
Mack Hollins is a proud supporter of the Special Olympics.