The Buffalo Bills may have overhauled their wide receiver corps, but they're not lacking for personality at the position entering the 2024 season. Not only do they have a colorfully confident rookie in Keon Coleman, but an admittedly peculiar veteran in journeyman Mack Hollins.
Signed to a one-year contract in May, the 30-year-old Hollins is vying for a significant role in the Bills' receiver rotation. In the meantime, he's captivated both coaches and teammates for his personal habits.
"Every team I've been on, they're gonna be like, 'Who's the weirdest guy?' And they're gonna say, 'Mack,'" Hollins admitted to Buffalo Plus, before reviewing some of his unconventional practices, including going barefoot as often as possible, eating without utensils, and avoiding house cats at all costs.
"I think shoes are a tool," Hollins explained. "And people have made them a part of their body. Like, I wouldn't walk around with a hammer just because I might need a hammer sometimes."
As for the cats? "Never have them around," he advised. "If it's a house cat, that'll steal your soul."
Eating with his hands, Hollins added, actually helps him stay "more cognizant" of washing his hands before and after meals, while helping his body better prepare for digestion.
"Yeah, he's crazy," left tackle Dion Dawkins joked of Hollins. "He's Tarzan."
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, meanwhile, counts Hollins as something of an unexpected inspiration. Deeming the wide receiver one of his "favorite people" he's ever met, he said the veteran even convinced him -- and several others -- to take the field at training camp while barefoot.
Originally a fourth-round draft pick out of North Carolina in 2017, Hollins spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, appearing primarily on special teams. He then spent nearly three years with the Miami Dolphins before bouncing between the Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons, peaking with 57 catches for 690 yards and four touchdowns in 2022.
