Colorado State University Athletics
Holland Cooking Up Something Special For 2005
4/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Prestige. Honor. Leadership. Athleticism. Intelligence. All of these are qualities of a successful quarterback but senior Justin Holland adds his own flavor to the team. His off the cuff sense of humor and quick wit add some spice to the football locker room.
Holland loves to sleep in on game days and play pranks on fellow teammates.
?You know we?ll tape up people?s shoes and helmets so they can?t get out to practice on time,? Holland said. ?We?ll throw all the stuff in their locker in the showers and make sure they?re all wet, nice and wet, when they?re coming out in 30 degree weather.?
Like any typical Colorado State student, Holland attends classes during the school year but unlike most students, he opts to take summer classes and doesn?t get a typical summer vacation.
?I usually stay up in Fort Collins and try and take one or two classes,? Holland said. ?Just to get those out of the way so I don?t have to take as many during the fall and spring.?
Besides having his summer vacations filled with classes, his winter breaks are often taken up with trips to bowl games. His most memorable break consisted of a trip to the 2001 New Orleans Bowl his freshman year.
?It just doesn?t get any better than that,? Holland said. ?I can?t really go into any specifics of what we were doing down there but it was definitely a lot of fun and we look back on that trip all the time.?
In addition to all the hard work and travel time Holland puts in, he will look back on the fan support of the football team. He believes that fans never know how important they are to the players? game, but sometimes they make all the difference.
?Bantering back and forth when we?re on the sidelines with them (the fans) really helps us out and keeps us excited for the whole 60 minutes,? Holland said. ?Because sometimes it?s easy to get into the middle of the game and you see a little lull between the players and if the crowd?s hyped, you stay hyped too.?
Fans have one more year to cheer on Holland and, as the Ram quarterback takes the field, he is prepared for his final season.
?Last year my season was cut short so it didn?t feel like a season,? Holland said. ?It was like I lost a year and I?m coming into it with the same mindset I had last year to get the team back to its winning ways.?
While Holland is only one ingredient, his outgoing and charismatic personality will add to the recipe of the Rams success this season.
by Jackie Sheppard
Media Relations Intern
