Everything From Virginia Tech WR Tucker Holloway On Wednesday Ahead Of Week 3

Virginia Tech wide receiver Tucker Holloway spoke to the media on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech wide receiver Tucker Holloway spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon; here's the entirety of what he had to say:

Q: How's practice been these last couple days?

"It's been good. [Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry], we doubled down on just the investment in general. The first meeting we had coming off of the the last game, we talked about Tuesday, Wednesday practice, focusing on that 100-, 200-level stuff, the basics. That's what we call the basics. So, just locking down on that stuff. And from the leadership standpoint, if any of that is lacking, making sure that we're holding each other accountable. And then moving into Thursday, Friday, making sure the 300-, 400-level stuff is is focused in. And so, at the end of the day, like there's nothing else to do besides just show up to work and put more in, invest more into the process."

On how it feels to be back from injury that cost him all 2024:

"Yeah, feels great. I feel amazing. I feel better now than I felt before my injury. So, I couldn't be more excited to be back, just to be playing again. Man, I love playing in there on Saturday. So, couldn't be more thankful. I feel great, ready to go physically, mentally, spiritually. Like I'm happy to be here. Happy to be playing football. And couldn't feel better in in my body."

Q: We were talking to Fontel a couple weeks ago and I think he said it took the spring to get your confidence back. Maybe you were a little timid out there initially. Did you feel like that?

Yeah, no, for sure. I definitely felt like that. In the spring I was still in a blue jersey, which is non-contact, just trying to figure out really everything. Again, when you have an injury like that, you're really building from the ground up. And so learning how to cut off of that leg, learning how to run full speed and just break it down and run the other way. That's not something that you just learn how to do overnight after having an injury like that. It takes understanding your body and the process to get back. So yeah, the spring was really good for me and then the summer. Now, the NCAA allows you to do so much more in the summer as far as running routes and and doing stuff with the quarterbacks and seven-on-seven. So both the spring and the summer helped me going into camp. I felt better than I've ever felt in my life. So, yeah, I'm very confident now."

Q: Do you remember how the injury happened?

It was in the spring, two springs ago. It was actually a non-contact injury. It was just an RBA and I just cut, just a weird movement. And my body was, I guess, already sore and just struggling a little bit from spring ball. And that's that's how it happened."

On what it was like to sit during 2024 and watch:

"I think you learn a lot. You learn a lot from the perspective of the game being played. I got to watch some great receivers, that's for sure. We understand. And I got some dudes that are in the league that are doing a really good job. And I got to learn from them from the game aspect and then also from a leadership aspect and off the field, I got to learn kind of like what I wanted to be and how I wanted to lead, stepping into a leadership role this year with all those guys leaving. And so, it took a lot of patience and a lot of just being able to be at peace with where I was and take my time building my body back. But also building the type of man that I wanted to be, the type of leader I wanted to be on the team, coming back this year."

On how much this Monday's off day helped:

"A lot. We talked about that as soon as the game was over. Me and my roommate were talking about what it'd be like having a Monday, kind of a reset day. Sunday's our film and get the the film watched and move on to the next game. But man, Monday, it's tough when you have a short week like that. It is really tough. It's not easy to turn around and and play another game in just a few days, after already being a little bit beat up from the last game. So, yeah, just being able to take care of our bodies, but also the mental side of it, getting ahead film-wise. Monday is a big film day for us, even though we're not doing anything physically. We get in here and have player-led meetings where we're just watching film. And so, it was a good opportunity for us to kind of not only physically, but mentally, reset and get ready to go into a good week of practice and preparation for the next game."

Q: How eager are you to get a punt return opportunity where you have a little bit of space? Seems like it's been few and far between this year.

"Man, very eager. In the first game, didn't really get an opportunity with any space. And then the last game, I don't know that I've ever seen a game where there's zero punts in a game. And so, I was so excited. Every third down, I grabbed my helmet. I'm ready to go. Like, I'm waiting to get on the field. And I had already told myself, I knew that I was going to have an opportunity with that punter. And so, I had already told myself, first opportunity I get, I'm returning it like no matter what, unless it's just a shank. And so that's my mindset still kind of going into this week is like, I get an opportunity, like it's my time to go be dangerous and make a play and have a spark for the team. And so, man, 'm eager for sure. I'm excited. That's what I do. That's what I love to do. And so, hopefully, that opportunity will come this week."

Q: How much does the wide receiving corps, knowing what the offensive line's dealing with with injuries... think about what you guys need to do to help out with that?

Yeah, I think, week-to-week, we talk about and [wide receivers coach Fontel Mines] talks to us about like winning games. A lot of that comes down to us, to our room, the receiver room, whether we're making plays, we're not making plays. Like that's how our offense goes. And I think you see that on the game, in the past two games. That's usually how it's going, even though we've run the ball pretty well. And so, for us at the end of the day, it comes down to [that] we need to control what we can control. And that's when the ball is gets thrown to us, we go make the play. Like that's that's what we do. We go make plays. And so we take pride in when the ball's in there, it's it's ours. Everyone in that room, everyone that touches the field. And so, that's kind of our mindset is [that] we're going to control, we control, and that's when the ball gets thrown to us, we go make the play. And so, we're excited to to do that whenever that the ball comes our way."

On whether that involves blocking:

"Yes, sir. Yeah. No, most definitely. [Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery]'s offense, it's a little bit different. We have a lot of RPO's and so it's a little bit less blocking than some offenses. A lot of times, we have a pass option even if it's a run play. I think everyone knows that's kind of the offense that he runs. But yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, also every game, every practice, we talk about going into the game, setting the tone on the perimeter blocking-wise that that sets the tone for the rest of the game. And so, we know that at the end of the day, we're going to have to block on the perimeter for us to be great. And so, that's something we take pride in. We practice. We talk about the mentality of that going into the game. Usually, you see that early in the game, getting something out to the perimeter for us to block and just set that tone from a receiver-to-DB standpoint."

Q: You mentioned how impactful those veterans were last year. Are there things you're you see yourself find yourself doing now that guys like Jaylen Lane that group did last year that you find yourself doing now and preaching to the younger guys?

"Yeah. No, most definitely. I think again, there's kind of the two sides to it, where you have the on-the-field stuff and then off the field. On the field, man, I've taken so many things that I learned from those guys and applied it to my game. You know, Steve [Stephen Gosnell] was one of my best friends. A lot of the ways that he runs routes, I tried to kind of mimic. And the same thing with J-Lane [Jaylin Lane], just an overall playmaker. And then J-Lane, especially when it comes to punt return, knowing that I returned beforehand. But then he got to return all last year, which was awesome for me to watch and just see the way that he took chances and kind of had that dangerous mindset being back there. And then there's the other side of it, where like [from an] off-the-field leadership standpoint, those dudes were some good leaders. You had verbal leaders, you had dudes who were just more kind of just like quiet, like Steve, that just came up and showed up to work every day. That's kind of been my mindset is [that] when it's my time to lead verbally, I'm more than ready to do that. But at the same time, my mindset is [that] I show up to work every day, no matter what the circumstance is, no matter what. And I come ready to practice, ready to work, do whatever is asked of me on the field, off the field from the coaches so that we can ultimately win."