One of the unique aspects for college athletics would be the player that earns the respect of his teammates and coaching staff through commitment and hard work. It’s certainly not guaranteed to happen even once per semester, or even guaranteed to happen once per year.
That exact situation did just transpire within the UCF football meeting room. UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn brought in the players for a meeting, and low and behold, he went forward with awarding Alec Holler a full football scholarship to UCF.
Before Holler earned the scholarship opportunity, he was a local recruit that did not garner national recruiting attention. He decided to attend UCF in an attempt to play football as a walk-on and earn respect. That’s exactly what this young man did.
Coming to UCF from nearby Winter Park (Fla.) Trinity Prep, he walked on to play for the Knights after a high school senior season that saw Holler haul in 69 receptions, 1,329 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Those accolades do not automatically translate to the Division I level, however.
With a roster of players just or big or bigger, just as fast or faster, Holler needed to find his niche within the UCF football program. After redshirting during the 2018 season, Holler began to work with the scout team before succumbing to a knee injury that cost him the remainder of the 2019 season. That did not stop him from coming back the next season.
The 2020 season saw Holler play in 10 football games as a tight end and with the special teams units. For anyone that’s been around a Division I college football program, they know just how hard it is to catapult from the status of a walk-on tight end to actually being in the game rotation as a tight end in just two years. That comes through one's own mindset and leads to maximum effort and hard work.
A tip of the cap to young Mr. Holler, as he’s worked his way up the UCF depth chart due to his own efforts. He was given nothing. Holler is the quintessential ‘effort’ player that helps a program any which way he can.
Perhaps this fall Holler will once again extend his role with the Knights. Do not count him out, as he’s already proven what he can do prior to the new UCF coaching staff arriving. Plus, in the short time Coach Malzahn and his staff have been in Orlando, Holler earned a scholarship without even playing in a game. That’s impressive.
Whether it’s running down on kickoffs to make a tackle or sealing the edge so a running back can turn the corner during an outside zone run, Holler will be a staple for the 2021 Knights football team. It’s a great achievement, and one that deserves public recognition.
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