Mack Hollins: Barefoot NFL Wide Receiver’s Unique Habits

Few NFL players generate as much curiosity off the field as Mack Hollins. The New England Patriots wide receiver has built a reputation that extends well beyond his stats, thanks to a lifestyle that includes going barefoot, avoiding vegetables, and dropping M&M’s into his water. Here’s a look at what’s documented, what’s been said, and how his unconventional habits fit into an eight-year NFL career.

Full name: Mack Hollins ·
Position: Wide receiver ·
Team (2025): New England Patriots ·
College: North Carolina (UNC) ·
NFL debut: 2017 (Philadelphia Eagles) ·
Super Bowl win: LII (2017 season)

Eight bits of data frame the career of the Patriots wide receiver, from the college program that developed him to the team he currently represents.

What happened with Mack Hollins?

Mack Hollins’ NFL journey

• Played college football at North Carolina from 2012 to 2016 (Wikipedia).
• Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft (Pro Football Reference).
• Won Super Bowl LII in his rookie season (NFL.com).

Hollins’ path through the NFL has taken him through five teams in eight years. After winning a championship with Philadelphia, he was released in 2019 and spent time with the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons before landing with the New England Patriots in 2023 (Wikipedia).

Notable career moments

• Made his NFL debut on September 10, 2017, against the Washington Redskins.
• Recorded his first NFL touchdown on October 29, 2017, against the San Francisco 49ers.
• Signed a multi-year deal with the Patriots ahead of the 2025 season (New England Patriots).

While his statistical production has been modest — primarily serving as a special teams contributor and depth wide receiver — his career longevity is notable. Eight seasons for a fourth-round pick represents solid value. The implication: Hollins’ professional footprint is small on the field but outsized in public memory because of what happens away from the game.

Why does Mack Hollins go barefoot?

Personal philosophy behind barefoot lifestyle

One of the most persistent curiosities about Mack Hollins is his choice to go barefoot. The practice, which he adopted roughly a decade ago, stems from work with an Australian training group, Melbourne Muscular Therapy, during recovery from a groin injury suffered with the Eagles. Hollins has linked the habit to grounding, a belief that direct contact with the ground improves mobility and joint health (Yahoo Sports).

Impact on training and performance

• Went through warmups without cleats during Super Bowl LX media availability (FOX 5 Atlanta).
• Has not consistently worn shoes for about a decade, according to an ESPN profile (ESPN).

Why was Mack Hollins wearing handcuffs?

Handcuffs celebration explanation

• Hollins arrived barefoot at Super Bowl LX wearing handcuffs, a facemask, and a red jumpsuit (FOX 5 Atlanta).
• The outfit was described as resembling a Hannibal Lecter-style ensemble, complete with shackled feet.
• The handcuffs have become part of a broader touchdown celebration motif.

The entrance immediately drew comparisons, adding another layer to Hollins’ unconventional public persona. It was not an isolated stunt; media reports characterized his off-field habits as part of a consistent, long-running philosophy (ESPN). The catch: Handcuffs as a celebratory accessory are hard to interpret as anything other than a deliberate rejection of standard NFL player branding. For a depth receiver, this level of cultural footprint is unprecedented.

Why does Mack Hollins not eat vegetables?

Dietary preferences and reasons

Hollins has stated publicly that he avoids vegetables, a habit he says has been in place for roughly five or six years. He has told reporters that vegetables don’t appeal to him and doesn’t feel they match his body’s nutritional needs (Yahoo Sports). He also generally avoids utensils and prefers eating with his hands (ESPN). The trade-off: A professional athlete avoiding an entire food group runs counter to standard sports nutrition advice, but Hollins has sustained an eight-year NFL career while doing so.

How it affects his nutrition as an athlete

• Hollins prefers spring water and watermelon juice over plain water (ESPN).
• He has not provided a detailed breakdown of his full diet beyond these personal preferences.

A 2026 report from talkSPORT suggested Hollins may have stopped eating vegetables entirely since 2022 (talkSPORT).

What is Mack Hollins’ ethnicity?

Heritage and family background

• Mack Hollins is American, broadly identified as African American.
• His parents are Mack Hollins II and Kelly Hollins.

Beyond this general classification, specific details about his parents and their heritage are limited. The implication: Without extensive family documentation or significant media coverage of his upbringing, Hollins’ personal background remains one of the less explored aspects of his public profile.

Why does Mack Hollins put M&M’s in his water?

The M&M water trend

• Documented using chocolate candies to flavor his water bottle.
• Sports Illustrated described it as a victory tradition dating back several years (Sports Illustrated).

In context, it fits a broader pattern: Hollins personalizes nearly every aspect of his consumption.

Hollins’ explanation

According to reports, Hollins has stated the candy adds flavor and provides electrolytes. It aligns with his general indifference to plain water — he has said he is “not really into water” and prefers spring water or watermelon juice instead (Yahoo Sports). The paradox: A celebration involving candy in water may sound childish, but it is entirely consistent with an athlete who has spent a decade building a personal philosophy around rejecting norms.

What we know vs what’s unclear

In his own words: Mack Hollins on his lifestyle

“Mack has explained his barefoot lifestyle as a preference rooted in grounding, mobility, and joint health.”

Mack Hollins, as reported by Yahoo Sports

“The Patriots wide receiver has stated he avoids vegetables because they don’t appeal to his body’s needs.”

Mack Hollins, as reported by ESPN and Yahoo Sports

“Hollins has described his M&M water as a victory tradition that adds flavor and provides electrolytes.”

Mack Hollins, as reported by Sports Illustrated

“The outfit included a Hannibal Lecter-style mask and shackled feet.”

FOX 5 Atlanta covering Mack Hollins’ Super Bowl LX entrance

For the New England Patriots, Mack Hollins is a functional depth receiver with a special teams pedigree. For the NFL media landscape, he is something rarer: an authentic, unapologetically unconventional personality in a league that often polishes its stars into safe profiles. The choice for fans is clear: embrace the quirks as part of a genuinely open athlete, or wait for the act to wear thin — but given the decade of consistency, the quirks are likely here to stay.

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His aversion to vegetables and shoes, along with his habit of adding M&M’s to water, is explored in a detailed look at his quirks.

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