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Devin McCourty proudly counts himself among the admirers of Mack Hollins.
In a recent conversation with MassLive, the three-time Super Bowl champion shared his experience of going up against the Patriots’ newly acquired wide receiver.
“He’s that kind of player,” the former Patriot continued. “He’ll absolutely bully you in the run game. He brings a toughness and edge that I think will really benefit this team.”
That’s the same mentality that Patriots legend Julian Edelman brought to the team daily — leading by example with relentless effort and a drive to get better.
Hollins, now 31 and having suited up for five other teams, shares that same approach.
“Josh (McDaniels) is tough to play for. You need mental toughness,” McCourty said. “(Hollins) shows up at 5 a.m. grinding, and he’s maybe the 60th best receiver in the league, yet he works like he’s number one?
Maye certainly demonstrated a strong determination to fight through pressure and sacks during his rookie season, often scrambling to escape the opposing team’s pass rush. While there were times when this worked against him, Hollins appreciates seeing that kind of resilience in a quarterback, viewing it as a sign of confidence.
“I think confidence is hard to come by for a young player, but seeing him have that confidence in his game so early is great,” Hollins said. “It’s not easy to step into a league where you’ve got players ranging from 20 to 40 years old. There’s such a wide range, and to walk into that room with confidence is impressive.
“Being able to see glimpses of that when I watched him, it was really great.”
“I think that’s what they’ve been missing since Edelman left. Maybe not a huge vocal guy, but when everyone sees that kind of work ethic? For younger players, it’s eye-opening. Like, ‘Wow, I need to step it up.’ They haven’t had that.”
McCourty added that he got to know Hollins a bit through his twin brother Jason, who played alongside Hollins in Miami.
