Mike Hollins wants his life to be a reflection of three friends and University of Virginia football teammates whose lives were cut short.
In November of 2022, D’Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. were killed in a mass shooting. Hollins was also shot, but he survived.
“I love to serve, and I love to help people,” said Hollins, who is now on Virginia’s coaching staff. “The three guys we lost, Devin, Lavel and D’Sean, were the ultimate servants. The ultimate people of compassion. And I wake up every day and just want to keep that flame going. That’s how I feel the most connected to those guys.”
Hollins, named a 2025 NCAA Inspiration Award recipient, will be honored at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The award is presented to a coach or administrator currently associated with intercollegiate athletics or to a current or former varsity letter winner at an NCAA school. It honors those who used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome a life-altering situation and become role models, giving hope and inspiration to others.
Hollins’ inspiring journey started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he grew up playing outside, hunting and fishing. When he was about 8 years old, his mother signed him up for his first youth football league, and he has loved the game since.
From his father, Hollins learned strength. By age 8, he had already formed the habit of doing pushups and situps every day, mimicking the workout routines of his father, who was on active military duty.
From his mother, Hollins learned the value of education. A bad grade in the classroom would result in not being able to practice football. Needless to say, Hollins did not miss any football practices.
Both parents, as well as his grandmother and siblings, taught him the value of family. And for Hollins, family didn’t end with relatives. Instead, Hollins formed a family through the relationships he made every step of his life, especially on the gridiron.
“What really drew me to the game of football was just the people. The coaches, especially, have mentored me and guided me,” he said. “Those relationships and everything that comes with being on the football team and doing hard things together — the sweat and the tears that come with it — that really drew me to the game.”
Going into his sophomore year of high…
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