Mack Hollins (left) and Ryan Switzer (right) were two of the four Tar Heels to hear their names called at the NFL Draft on Saturday. (Smith Cameron Photography)

A year ago, Mack Hollins was preparing for the NFL Draft.

Now, he is on his way to the Super Bowl.

An unheralded recruit out of high school, Hollins walked-on at North Carolina and earned a scholarship after his hard work on special teams. He burst onto the scene during in his third year, catching 35 passes for 613 yards and eight scores in 2014. From there, Hollins blossomed into a crucial piece of the receiving game and turned into one of the country’s top downfield threats. As a junior, he led the Tar Heels in receiving yards and touchdowns while averaging an astonishing 24.8 yards per catch.

While Hollins’ senior season was cut short due to injury, he still recovered in time to participate in the NFL Combine and pre-draft workouts. At 6 feet 4 inches and 221 pounds, Hollins ran an impressive 4.53 40-yard dash, which was enough to convince the Philadelphia Eagles to draft the former walk-on in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

With the Eagles signing receivers Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith in free agency, Hollins was allowed to sit and develop as a role player as a rookie this past season instead of being forced into action too early. During the regular season, Hollins caught 16 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown while working as the Eagles’ fourth option at receiver. His role in the postseason has been limited (two catches for nine yards), but part of that might be attributed to Carson Wentz’s injury at the quarterback position.

Perhaps Hollins’ most notable moment from his rookie season was when he was caught riding his bicycle to the Eagles’ October 23rd game against the Washington Redskins.

After the game, Hollins told reporters that he didn’t have a car but lived close to the Eagles’ complex so he preferred riding his bike over taking an Uber. Ironically, Hollins scored his only touchdown of the regular season, a 64-yard strike from Wentz, in that game as well.

With Philadelphia playing in Super Bowl LII this weekend, Hollins has taken the same mentality for his travel to Minnesota.

While he might not have really biked from Philadelphia to Minnesota, Hollins’ journey in the NFL is far from over. From a former walk-on to Super Bowl participant, the future looks bright for this former Tar Heels star.

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