B&G Posted July 5, 2003 Share Posted July 5, 2003 Several teams interested in Hollings By Darrell Trimble NFL Insider Wednesday, July 2 Updated: July 2 10:14 AM ET Four games. That's all the scouts have to go on. But Georgia Tech running back Hollings did more in those first four games of the 2002 season than any other back in college. Hollings, who was a safety that played mostly special teams his first two seasons in Atlanta, switched to tailback his junior year and started off the season by ripping of four straight 100-yard games and led the nation in rushing with 633 yards on 92 carries. His 11 touchdowns also ranked second in the country. Unfortunately, his Cinderella season was cut short by a severe knee injury. But he'd already made a name for himself and set the stage for July 10, when he'll be selected in the supplemental draft. However, as sexy as his numbers are and as intriguing as his story is, there are serious risks with drafting Hollings. The former Yellow Jacket underwent reconstructive surgery on Oct. 1, 2002 to repair the torn ACL and torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. He has had a good deal of time to recover and before he was declared academically ineligible after the spring semester he was expected to be ready for fall practices. Hollings and his agent Todd France now says he's fully recovered. But even if that's the case, drafting him is still a risk. The four opponents he faced last year, Vanderbilt, Connecticut, Clemson and BYU, all were bad at defending the run. None ranked higher than 59th in the country and as a group they gave up an average of 171.3 yards a game. Also, his ability as a receiver out of the backfield is in question since he only caught three balls as a running back. However, his training as a defensive back should help in that regard. Still, nearly 20 teams were in Atlanta on Tuesday to see Hollings work out. And six teams (Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Green Bay, New England and Tampa Bay) are very interested in using a draft choice on him next Thursday. The Cowboys haven't decided on a replacement for Emmitt Smith and could certainly use more competition. According to the Dallas Morning News they sent trainer Britt Brown to look at Hollings' repaired knee, along with two scouts. Houston and Chicago have more options in the backfield but were 31st and 32nd in rushing respectively last season. Tampa could also use a running back although they just traded for first-round bust Thomas Jones. The supplemental draft lasts seven rounds. Any team selecting Hollings will forfeit its pick in the same round in next year's NFL draft. If a player isn't drafted by a team he automatically becomes a free agent and can sign with any team that wants him, but Hollings won't have that option, as he is sure to be selected, perhaps as early as the fourth round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sir Posted July 5, 2003 Share Posted July 5, 2003 If he was fully recovered he would have ran the 40 at his workout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeSkin Posted July 5, 2003 Share Posted July 5, 2003 I don't see Hollings ever being successful. Too many negative variables. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sir Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I think he is going to be a successful player, maybe not a huge success or anything but baring any further injuries I think he'll be in the league for awhile. His vision, speed, quickness, and deceptive power will assure him a spot in the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 negative variable: knee injury.... besides that? have you seen him play? i know atlhawksfan has as have i.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeSkin Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Knee injury, played only 4 games at RB, academic troubles, the list goes on and on. How can you spend a 4th, or God forbid, a 3rd rounder on a guy who's played FOUR bloody games at his position? If he ever contributes, it won't be for two years, at least. This is like a middle schooler entering the NBA draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I wouldnt spend anything better than a 7th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Naw he goes in the 6th round and then on to the PUP list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 the guy is a tremendous athlete... he will find a place on the field. and orange, don't mean to be a dick, but continue your list....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sir Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 I dont see how you can equate this to a middle schooler entering the NBA, it seems pretty similar to a college player entering the NFL though. Not just any college player, but statistically the best college RB(at the time of his injury). Tony Hollings will be a steal for whoever gets him. Theyll most likely be using a day 2 pick on him and he's a 1st round quality back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeathByLinebacker Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Originally posted by atlhawksfan I dont see how you can equate this to a middle schooler entering the NBA, it seems pretty similar to a college player entering the NFL though. Not just any college player, but statistically the best college RB(at the time of his injury). Tony Hollings will be a steal for whoever gets him. Theyll most likely be using a day 2 pick on him and he's a 1st round quality back. Being statistically the best after playing UConn, BYU, Vandy and Clemson doesn't make you NFL 1st round quality. The best run defense of the bunch was UConn and they were #59 in the nation. Basically Hollings has never played running back against a decent defense in his life. Hollings is a NFL project. He could be great in a year or two, but he's a long way from a sure thing. He's definitely not ready to step in and be a NFL starter today. It also doesn't help him that he wasn't recovered enough from his injury to run a 40 for the scouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sir Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Damn, I didnt know UCONN was ranked that high in run defense, he had 150+ in the first half and didn't even play in the 2nd half that game. Hollings may have never faced the top run defenses, but Larry Johnson(1st round pick) faced good defenses, he had bad games. PFW considered Hollings a 1st round quality player even after the injury. You just can't deny a player's ability when they have the attributes that Hollings has. People who have actually watched him play know what he has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeathByLinebacker Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 Originally posted by atlhawksfan Damn, I didnt know UCONN was ranked that high in run defense, he had 150+ in the first half and didn't even play in the 2nd half that game. Hollings may have never faced the top run defenses, but Larry Johnson(1st round pick) faced good defenses, he had bad games. PFW considered Hollings a 1st round quality player even after the injury. You just can't deny a player's ability when they have the attributes that Hollings has. People who have actually watched him play know what he has. See dude, I have seen him play. I spent a year at Georgia Tech before transferring to Florida and I still follow the Yellow Jackets. I also owned Hollings on my NCAA fantasy team last year. I watched 3 of the 4 games he played including the last one. He's fantastic in the open field, but I'm not so much of a homer to think he's prepared to hit NFL holes or even close to it, much less pick up a NFL blitz. He's a project with high-end potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottb Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 It's amazing how the phrase "could have been a #1 draft pick" is attached to so many college players (Hutchenson of Dallas is often refered to that way based upon a very sketchy college career). I wonder how many players currently ranked as #1 picks by the big boards will actually be selected that high next spring. Less than half I would dare say...and some really plummet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeSkin Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 Originally posted by AJWatson3 and orange, don't mean to be a dick, but continue your list....... Well, uh...*cough* errrm...*runs away*. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJWatson3 Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 that's what i thought... a bunch of BS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Genius Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 How can you spend a 4th, or God forbid, a 3rd rounder on a guy who's played FOUR bloody games at his position? See the Raiders and Jerry Porter 3 years ago Luckily, the Raiders did have film of him (Porter) as a Safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkyalligator Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 There is no way anyone should send higher than a 5th rounder on this guy, but with all the hype you know someone will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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