Holland leads Under Armour team with four tackles
Published 11:16 am Monday, January 4, 2010
Pelham High School senior Jake Holland will forever remember where he spent his first weekend of 2010.
Holland led Team Nitro tied for the team lead in tackles from his middle linebacker position in the 2010 Under Armour All-Star football game Jan. 2 in Orlando. Holland helped Team Nitro pick up a 32-7 win over Team Blur with four tackles in the nationally-televised game on ESPN.
Holland, who led the Panthers with 152 tackles during the season, called the game “one of the top five experiences” of his life.
“It was definitely a great experience,” Holland said. “I got to meet a lot of the top athletes in the nation. If I could do it all over again, I would.”
Holland held his own against some of the top football recruits in the nation. The Auburn commitment impressed the all-star coaches with two interceptions in a practice session three days before the game. Holland was named a defensive team captain by the Team Nitro coaching staff and represented his team during the pre-game coin toss.
Holland said the practices and game helped him prepare for football in the Southeastern Conference.
“The practices were tough,” Holland said. “You got to know what your competition is at the next level.”