UCF tight end Alec Holler is preparing for his final college football game - or is he? Holler revealed that he has been granted a medical redshirt and could potentially return for a seventh year. He expands on his season, career and favorite memories of being a Knight.
It's been a long time for you in your UCF career. It's your last game. What are your thoughts as you go through practice, preparing for one more game? What's going through your mind in a week like this?
"Yeah, I mean, you go back and you think about your journey up to this point. You kind of reflect even on your days in Pop Warner when you're like a little kid starting your journey in football. And now up to this point it's reflecting on UCF as a whole and just taking everything for what it is and not taking anything for granted and just being thankful for the entire process.
"Just getting the ability to spend time with teammates, coaches, and practicing on the practice field tomorrow will be the last practice on that practice field. So it's special and it's a special bowl and I'm extremely excited that we're getting the opportunity to play in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Do you think that when you take the field on Friday that there will be some emotions there, obviously, being in your last college game?
"Yeah, I think so. I think that you obviously can't let it affect how you're going to play. I think afterwards is really when it's going to kind of set in in terms of being my last college football game. Before senior night you kind of feel that as well. So it's not going to be an unfamiliar emotion, I feel like for a lot of the seniors that are going to be playing their last game because they've experienced it on a senior day."
You mentioned thinking back about your career and stuff like that. What will you remember about being part of UCF's first Big 12 team?
"Yeah, it's extremely special and that's something that I'll always tell my friends, family and my kids about in the future, my grandkids, talking about this experience when we see UCF going far and beyond even stuff that we're accomplishing now, because this university is set up to just defy everybody's expectations. Coming back to be a part of this team this year specifically was a big motivation to coming back as well as training, getting stronger and putting more film on to potentially go to the NFL.
"So those were kind of the two main thought processes when coming back, so it's definitely a big deal."
You talked about your career. You are a bit of a Gasparilla Bowl legend now. This is your third time in it. You posted the highlight of the Florida game. What does it mean to play in this game specifically?
"Yeah, I think it means a lot to the local kids especially, because a lot of your family gets to come. Also, you get to spend Christmas with your family, which is extremely special as well. And going to play in Ray Jay is extremely cool. And this year, since we didn't play USF, this is our opportunity to go play there.
"You can think about stuff like two years ago, Jake Hescock, one of my close buddies, his last game was playing Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl. That's like another thing that I've been thinking about a little bit. The Gasparilla Bowl is really special, and I think that when we get to play in our home away from home, it's a really cool thing."
Someone made a banner that says UCF is Tampa's hometown team too. UCF has played in that stadium every year since 2018, and every year you've been at UCF, you've played in that stadium. So do you kind of feel like that is a home away from home? You know there's gonna be a ton of fans there. The allotment's already sold out.
"Yeah. Sometimes when you go to a neutral site game or you go to an away game, it's kind of unfamiliar. You've never seen the stadium before. You'll go the day before and kind of walk through the stadium to see what it's all like to get adjusted to the environment.
"But that's a place that all of us have been there multiple times. So it's a place that I feel like we're comfortable and that we're very used to the environment. And we know what to expect when going to a stadium like that."
What do you know about Georgia Tech and their defense and what stands out to you about that team?
"They're a solid team. They're disciplined. And I think they're going to be a great challenge. One of the things that I saw throughout the season was when they beat Miami at the end of the game, which that just shows you that they're resilient. They don't quit. They play until the end of the game.
"And we got to play them last year, which was really cool. And now both teams will be motivated for this game for sure since we beat them last year. I don't think they've been in a bowl game for a long time, so this will be a big deal. And then also the George O'Leary ties both ways will be pretty cool as well."
How has practice been going? Do you have that feeling that this team is the healthiest it's been since that final snap of the regular season?
"Yeah, our team is definitely healthy and all the guys are moving around fast. I mean, we're playing physical in practice and I think that you can see the intent when we're out there on the practice field, whether we're doing individual drills to try to just work on our technique or we're in team against each other and pushing each other, keeping each other up, not trying to knock each other down to the ground, but we're playing physical and trying to help each other improve."
What would it mean to end this season with a victory against Georgia Tech which would guarantee a winning season in your first year in the Big 12. What would that mean to you and the team?
"Yeah, it would be a huge deal. Coach Malzahn has talked about always carrying the momentum into the next season. For example, when we beat Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl, it was kind of that momentum we carried into the offseason and then we went to a conference championship the next year. It's really important to end your season on a win, not only for the seniors, but also to set up the next season as well and kind of keep those gears turning."
I know a lot of guys don't like to look back on a season until after the season is over, but when you look at this Big 12 season, what stood out to you about it?
"I think a lot of games this year we've showed that we have a lot of talented players and that we do belong here. There's obviously been some frustrating moments, some games where we kind of gave it up honestly. Those are the kind of moments where you honestly get to see what your team's made of. We'd obviously love to win those games. I think that we saw in those losses that we're tight as a team and that we're never going to quit regardless of what happens the previous week. And that we're just going to step forward and just play hard regardless of what the circumstances are."
I know you're a humble guy. Is the Holy Holler catch at South Florida last year your favorite play in your time here? Or are there some other ones?
"I mean, I guess so. I think that would probably be the one that I'd pull up if someone was like, hey, pull up a clip of your career. But there's a lot of, honestly, blocks that I really liked. Cincinnati last year when RJ had ran in that touchdown, I had a cut off block on the back side. I kind of got the end pinned and then RJ ran through there. So that would probably be another play that I'd pull up as well. But yeah, I mean, that play is pretty awesome. And that play I'll have on my phone saved to be able to pull up to show somebody whenever they ask."
Obviously the focus is on winning this game to end your career. But what's next for Alec Holler? Are you going to give a shot at the NFL? Beyond football, do you know what you want to do with your life? Have you kind of thought about what happens next?
"Well, I have another year of eligibility, so I will see."
Is that a joke?
"No, I actually do."
Oh, really?
"I have a medical redshirt."
So how many years would that be?
"That would be seven. We'll see."
How cool has it been to play with your brother if this is it?
"It's been extremely special to have the opportunity to see Max every single day. I feel like your team becomes your family and when one of your family members is able to be a part of that every single day and you wake up in the morning and just so many memories that we'll be able to talk about for the rest of our lives. We're extremely thankful to UCF and everyone involved, all the fans and everyone that's made UCF such a special place that we've been able to spend this time together."
So if you do have one year left, are you giving thought to coming back for another season? Is that a real consideration?
"I mean, we'll see. I'll talk about it after the bowl game, but yeah, there's definitely been a little bit of thought, yes."
When you look at a lot of teams across the country, a lot of players are opting out of bowl games and stuff like that. It seems like you guys are pretty cohesive, you haven't had a lot of guys opt out. What does that say about this team that you guys want to finish out and do it all together as a brotherhood?
"Yeah, I think it speaks to the culture that Coach Malzahn has built in the brotherhood that all the team members, all our teammates have made that we want to play for each other and just end on the right note. Let the record books show what our team is in reality and show that we want to end it with a winning season and just play one more time with each other. Because this team, although UCF will play every year, this team, this is our last game that we'll ever play together, so it's going to be really special."
What was your favorite moment of this season up to this point?
"Let me think, there were a lot of good moments. I mean, probably Oklahoma State, I feel like that was a pretty awesome game. The rainy environment was really cool. You fall on the ground and you're sliding like five yards. I think the Cure Bowl got to experience that last week. I think Oklahoma State was probably the most fun game and best moment. We were all celebrating in the locker room afterward as brothers."
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