Q&A with Rutgers Football offensive lineman Hollin Pierce
Rutgers Football's starting offensive tackle for the past three seasons, Hollin Pierce made the decision to return to the banks for one last year following the Pinstripe Bowl victory and he spoke with the media following practice about all that and more.
Q: I guess, what's your biggest progression this year? What are you? What are you trying to work on the most?
HP: “Yeah, I would say just bending. This leverage, being 6’9/6’8. Like, it's just, it's hard to be bending for that amount of time. So, I feel like that's definitely like a huge thing. I'm just working on this thing, low pad level, and that's a big thing for me to stay in low because I'm a tall guy”.
Q: How's your decision making process because a lot of guys will try to transfer or go pro? How tough was the decision? Or how easy was it to come back?
HP: “I mean, it was very easy to come back. I saw how much I developed, especially when a coach flats (Pat Flaherty) took over. I just saw my development and it was night and day looking at my past. I just knew that I needed more time to work and just get better each and every day. So it's very easy decision”.
Q: There's a lot of younger guys in O line room in their first and second year, what is your kind of advice to them?
HP: “Everything is not going to be perfect, you're going to have good and bad days. It's going to feel like a lot when you're having bad days, but you just keep chopping at it and just keep working on whatever you need to work on. Don't lose focus on that spot you're working on”.
Q: How do you feel like the group has kind of developed overall and in progress, since you've started, and especially since coach clarity took over?
HP: “Oh, man, since I started until now, the group is completely different. You can see now how we all care about each other, how we do everything we do with each other. We jus go out with each other on the field and we're always looking out for each other too."
Q: This time a year ago, you're in a different place physically, right? And where are you at now, strength wise, and just kind of took us through the past year and thinking back to last year at this time?
HP: “I mean, last year, at this time, I would say I definitely wasn't as strong as I am now, that's like a big thing. I was working on just strength and like I said before, just getting lower, just working on my bending, that's just like a big thing, I probably gonna be working on bending for the rest of my career, to be honest. But that, that, for sure is what I've been, you know, working on and stuff like that so”.
Q: Coach Flaherty, you were talking about stories and sharing them how impactful are those when he's able to talk about guys from the league and be able to show film and some of those things?
HP: “I mean, it's very impactful. Coach flats has been coaching for so many years. So these stories that he's telling us about and sharing this knowledge with us is just incredible because he just opened up my eyes onto some new things. I just never saw it that way before and I never knew that work like that. It has helped, it just helps so much”.
Q: You get a lot of guys back from last year and how much better can this O line be this year and how come?
HP: “I mean, a lot a lot better. We have talent across the board on the offensive line and I mean, like I said before just the way we work. We work hard, and everybody's working on the things they need to work on. We are a tight group, so I think we're gonna be a lot better."
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