Football

Pass rusher Harper Holloman embraces contact, continuing to improve as a major piece for WVU football

MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia football pass rusher Harper Holloman isn't afraid of contact. He had five tackles, which were third on the team, and had a sack in the win over Cincinnati. On a bad defense, Holloman has 19 tackles, which is among the most of pass rushers.

Holloman having no fear of sticking his nose in on every play wasn’t always the case. Holloman's mother was very wary for him to play football when he was younger. Instead, Holloman tried baseball and swam.

It was hard to keep him away from the gridiron, though. Football is sprinkled throughout his family. His cousin is Albert Haynesworth, who was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2002 by the Tennessee Titans. Haynesworth played 11 seasons and 123 games in the NFL, and was named to two Pro Bowls and First Team All-Pro twice. His uncle played at Clemson, and his dad really loved football.

His mom would rather him just play flag football.

"It was just when I got on that field, it was just like second nature to me," Holloman said. "Once I played football, I didn’t think about any other sport."

His mother eventually came around to the idea of Holloman playing football, and he took off, especially since he can talk to his relatives for advice. Haynesworth, as one of the best defensive tackles in the early 2000s, keeps a line open for Holloman and answers all his questions.

"When it came to football, they gave me little tips and tricks for sure," Holloman said. "Last year, I was having to struggle on finishing on the quarterback, and I reached out to my cousin Albert, and he was just telling me it's just the little stuff you do. Sometimes at practice, if we're in a thud drill and the quarterback is live, you get in a position to feel like you're going to make a play. Or after practice, you just make a couple of tackles on the back. Things like that.”

Originally, Holloman started as a defensive tackle because in high school at 260 pounds, he was a lot bigger than your normal high school pass rusher. Holloman knew in college, with his speed and twitchiness, he’d find the most success as a defensive end.

Being a defensive tackle in his early years has helped him be a better pass rusher now, especially filling gaps and stopping the run.

"I feel like playing interior is kind of harder because there’s a lot less space, but it was a smooth transition because I’ve always been quick on my feet," Holloman said. "Moving to Edge just allowed me to be a little bit freer actually."

Holloman played two seasons at Western Kentucky as a pass rusher. He had 39 stops, two sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, an interception, six hurries, four pass breakups and a blocked kick last season. In his first year, Holloman even played against Rich Rodriguez when he was at Jacksonville State. He had a tackle for loss in that game, sending the Hilltoppers to the Conference USA Championship.

Holloman said part of the reason he transferred to West Virginia was watching how Rodriguez and his staff operated on the opposing sideline. He knew playing for the Mountaineers was an opportunity to take his game to the next level.

"I feel like playing them, it was more like, I see what they do and how well they do their plays and stuff like that. It was a no-brainer."

Holloman picked up the defense fast, and he's one of the better players on a defense that is struggling. He still has stuff to work on, including finishing his pass rushes. Holloman creates pressure; he just can't bring the quarterback to the ground.

But Holloman has plenty of time to improve, and as a junior, he has two more years in the system with the new 5-for-5 ruling.

"I feel like overall, I’ve been doing well personally," Holloman said. "I feel like there are always things to work on to get better at, and every day I’m trying to improve."