San Jose, California — On the opening night of Super Bowl 60, New England Patriots wideout Mack Hollins was willing to chat with reporters — as long as the conversation steered clear of football.
“No football on Monday, just fun questions,” Hollins said with a grin.
Instead of dissecting the big game or his role in it, the Maryland native talked about life beyond the field — what he might do if he ever stopped playing. He joked that he could see himself living out in the woods, pursuing regenerative farming, trying out something like the survival show Alone in Alaska, or maybe even selling cars. “Who knows,” he said. “Really, whatever you feel like doing in life. I’ve always been told to push as hard as you can, no matter who you are. So football happened to be the path I chose.”
Hollins said he’s thought about starting a farm, but for now his full attention is on his playing career. “Hopefully I can play another 100 years,” he laughed. “But right now I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do when I’m done. I want to give myself a chance to play as long as I can and then see what Mack really wants to do outside of football.”
His pregame habit of walking the field barefoot and showing up in unusual game-day outfits has made him something of a sideshow during New England’s Super Bowl run. But the 32-year-old receiver is still in the league for a reason: the 6-foot-4, 214-pound veteran — now with his fifth NFL team — is enjoying his best season, finishing the regular year with 46 catches for 550 yards and two touchdowns.
Those offbeat rituals reflect his personality, Hollins said, but he’s careful to keep performance first. “Even back in high school, people say, ‘Mac was always the weird one,’” he noted. “And realistically, at the end of the day, if you don’t perform, you’re just a weirdo. For me, it’s like, ‘Oh, he plays on Sunday, so it’s okay.’ But the moment I don’t play, it’s like, ‘Why is he wearing that?’ or ‘Why isn’t he wearing shoes?’ or ‘He doesn’t care about the team.’ That’s the business we’re in. You have to live and die by the same story.”
Hollins traces the barefoot routine back to his early days with the Philadelphia Eagles, when he connected with a rehabilitation team in Melbourne via YouTube after a 2017 groin injury. That initial contact led to treatment in Philadelphia and later trips to Australia, forging a nearly decade-long relationship with that recovery facility. “I was trying to retire and they treated me,” he recalled. “They showed up in Philadelphia barefoot and I thought, ‘What the hell are they doing?’ Three years later I visited them in Australia and trained barefoot with them, and I feel like I’ve grown since then.”
On the field, Hollins is one piece of a receiving group that has helped support young quarterback Drake Maye, who has quietly emerged as an MVP candidate. Stefon Diggs paced the team with 85 catches for 1,013 yards — the seventh 1,000-yard season of his career — while tight end Hunter Henry has become a reliable target with 60 catches for 768 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. Kyshon Boutte chipped in 35 receptions for 551 yards and six scores.
“Coach (Josh) McDaniels does a great job of spreading the ball around,” Diggs said. “One of the reasons we’ve had success offensively is because everyone’s getting a piece of the pie. This week they might get a little more, next week they might get a little less. … We have stars. People might not call them stars, but I watch them play every day in practice. I understand how they work.”
Diggs added that Hollins’ team-first attitude shows up beyond the stat sheet. “When a player catches the ball, I see Mack Hollins celebrating with him. Mack Hollins will make a big catch over the middle, and I’ll celebrate with him. I really want the guys around me to win. I want them to shine.”
Okay, Mac — I had to bring the football angle in after all.
Fan Take: Hollins’ blend of individuality and reliable production is a reminder that personality can coexist with performance, and his role in a balanced Patriots offense highlights how depth and chemistry fuel team success. For NFL fans, his story underscores the growing importance of versatile, team-oriented playmakers in a league that rewards both star power and selfless contributors.
