Mack Hollins showed up for his first press conference with the Patriots as you might expect, barefoot.
Mack Hollins showed up for his first press conference with the Patriots as you might expect, barefoot.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Ryan Switzer remembers the first time he realized Mack Hollins was a little different.
Teammates at the University of North Carolina, they were going through summer workouts in Chapel Hill. Switzer, an incoming freshman, was running sprints alongside Hollins, a sophomore.
“We were running gassers,” Switzer recalled. “This guy is running them barefoot, and he’s smoking everybody, all the guys in cleats. I was just thinking, ‘Something about this dude is off.’
“But it’s him, and he’s been consistent that way for the 11 or 12 years I’ve known him. That’s just who he is. The cat is just different.”
From a practical standpoint, Hollins, who signed a two-year deal with the Patriots this month worth $8.4 million, adds another layer of depth to the wide receiver depth chart.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 221-pounder, who had a career-high 57 catches for 690 yards and four touchdowns while playing for Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas in 2022, likely projects as a third or fourth receiver for New England. In his introductory press conference, he said he welcomed the chance to work with McDaniels again.
“The expectation is that you’re capable of doing whatever is asked of you,” Hollins said of McDaniels. “Whether that is playing inside, outside. If he wants me to block, if he wants me to run, if he wants me to catch, if he wants me to pass, whatever it is, that’s the expectation of every guy.
“And I think I do well on that because I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
But the 31-year-old is more than just another weapon for Drake Maye. Whether it’s Hollins’s affinity for going barefoot, his disdain for soup (“You’ve never seen anything savage eat soup”), his choice of unique pregame outfits (everything from a Fred Flintstone costume to a throwback uniform), or his affection for special teams, he brings a different presence to Foxborough.
Mack Hollins often arrives at games in style.
Mack Hollins often arrives at games in style.Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press
In the midst of a long season, he’s not only a reliable receiver and special teamer, he’s capable of releasing some of the pressure that can build in a locker room.
“Mack would play the game for free if he had to,” Switzer said. “That’s just who he is. Mack is Mack, and who he is, is one of a kind.”
Plus? The Patriots heisted him from a division rival.
“Super sad to see Mack go,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. “I know he was kind of a fan favorite as well as a favorite in the locker room. I’m very happy for him and what he got. Hate that he’s a division rival now, but it’s the game that we play.”
‘Put that kid up from Maryland again’
In 2012, North Carolina had a handful of players vying for the final roster spot, and director of player personnel Marcus Berry was going through film with the rest of the staff. Hollins kept showing up — in a good way — during the conversation.
“We needed more length and more speed at receiver,” Berry said of Hollins, who landed the final walk-on spot as a freshman. “We were in a meeting, and I said, ‘Put that kid up from Maryland again.’ I just pushed for him, and he got it.
“He made a big impact right away, especially on special teams. Just an elite special teams player from the beginning. In just over a year, he was on scholarship.“
Hollins led the country in yards per catch (24.8) in 2015, and had 65 catches combined in 2014 and ‘15.
Mack Hollins had 31 catches for 378 yards and five touchdowns last season with the Bills.
Mack Hollins had 31 catches for 378 yards and five touchdowns last season with the Bills.Timothy T Ludwig/Getty
“He was ‘Moss-ing’ people,” former North Carolina receivers coach Gunter Brewer remembered. “He was killing people.”
Hollins also was a revelation on special teams.
“He’d rather play special teams and knock the [expletive] out of somebody as soon as catch a pass,” Brewer said with a laugh.
‘He wanted to take their soul’
That intensity was on display 24/7. Hollins played like food and rent were on the line on every snap, and he expected his teammates to do the same.
“He wanted to take their soul,” Brewer said of whoever lined up against Hollins.“It didn’t matter who we put him against, he would crush ‘em. He would talk [expletive] the whole time, because he would just break their spirit and break their will.”
In his introductory press conference in New England, Hollins acknowledged that he hasn’t always found the best way to be a leader, saying he’s been able to find a common ground between full speed and taking your foot off the gas.
His friends think they know at least part of the reason why.
“Where he’s changed the most is that one-size-fits-all mentality,” Switzer said. “He’ll deny this, but I think he’s gotten a little soft now that he’s been a father with a baby girl. He’s gotten more nurturing when he’s gotten older.
“I’ll say this, few people have been able to instill confidence in me the way Mack has. He has the ability to make people feel better than they are, and that’s rare for a player. Don’t get it twisted, he’s still fiery. But he’s grown as a person.”
‘Every game, he had a huge highlight’
Hollins was taken in the fourth round by the Eagles in 2017, and was part of the team that knocked off the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Brewer, who coached him as a rookie in Philadelphia, said Hollins tried to carve out a niche on a veteran roster.
“Mack always was the first guy out of the meeting room to the field and to the JUGS machine, and was always the last one out,” Brewer said.
After Philadelphia, Hollins made stops in Miami, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Buffalo. Four of his first seven years in the NFL, he played 50 percent or more of the special teams snaps.
While he was never considered an elite pass catcher, his services were always in demand. In 2021, he was elected a Dolphins captain. In 2022, he had his best season with the Raiders.
In 2024, few players ingratiated themselves with the Buffalo fan base as quickly as Hollins. Post-practice sprints in bare feet, a willingness to do the dirty work on special teams, dressing up as one of the Muppets before a game, and an active presence on social media helped win over the hearts of Bills Mafia.
Mack Hollins came through as Animal from The Muppets 😂 @mackhollins
📺: #BUFvsKC -- 6:30pm ET on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/mXkGU145EU
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2025
He provided special teams highlights, caught a team-high five touchdown passes, and was a major reason why the Bills made it to the AFC Championship game, in which he caught a dramatic 34-yard touchdown pass from Allen.
“Every game, he had a huge highlight,” said longtime Bills fan Tori Mullaney. “People loved him.”
JOSH ALLEN. MACK HOLLINS.@BuffaloBills get a big TD before the half 🙌
📺: #BUFvsKC on CBS
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/VR8GOkUP3c
— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2025
‘We love Mack. Loved what he did.’
Bills general manager Brandon Beane was asked earlier this month why they didn’t bring Hollins back.
“We love Mack. Loved what he did,” said Beane. “You’d have to ask Mack. We were definitely interested in bringing him back.”
Instead, the Patriots swept in and made him a part of the rebuilding effort.
“I’m excited for an opportunity to play ball and potentially win some games, to work with all these guys,” said Hollins.
“The New England fans are going to love him, bare feet and all,” said Berry. “He’s going to give you everything he’s got, and he’ll have fun doing it.”
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him @cpriceglobe.