:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16358611/154899556.0.jpg)
While attending Northeast High in Zachary, Louisiana a Senior running back accumulated over 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. Yet he was rejected as an applicant to Duke and Louisiana-Lafayette. At the urging of his coach David Masterson, he accompanied Aaron Brown (a fellow Northeast player) to a Louisiana State University camp. After morning calisthenics Trindon Holliday ran a 4.28 40 yard dash-- in tennis shoes.
As the coaches argued about whther they started their stop watches at the right time, they asked Holliday to run it again. He did, not even from a track stance-- in 4.27 seconds this time.
"Right now to be honest with you I don’t think there’s none in the NFL that’s faster than me," Holliday proclaimed last season.
And he is right.
This isn't so much an article as it will be a love letter, to what Holliday represents: The Future.
His measurables are well known, the fact that he was cut by the Houston Texans during the 2012 season and signed by the Denver Broncos after-- all well known. His career performance in the 2012 Divisional Playoffs is something the whole NFL witnessed.
His official LSU bio starts off by listing him as, "The fastest player ever to play college football who ranks among the nation's elite as a return specialist."
Despite all of this incredible momentum going forward, Matt Russell was quite this offseason when asked about Holliday and how else he might be used.
I witnessed Holliday trot out as a receiver at least once during the season, but his position since high school has been as a running back. He is four inches shorter than Ronnie Hillman though and weighs 30 pounds less. Not exactly the guy you want as the last stop before J.J. Watt creams Peyton Manning.
Russell's lapse in an answer leads me to believe that there does exist a plan for Holliday beyond just kickoff and punt returns. It may be that he is split as a receiver, opening up the middle on deep outs, it may be that the offense just plans to get him the ball as quickly as possible and allow him to do his thing in open space.
One thing that is certain is that Holliday will live up to his fan given nickname of 'Heart Attack' Holliday. Watching him return the ball is like watching Tim Tebow in the last two minutes of a football game.