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Although known for their prowess on the gridiron, two former Razorbacks are making waves for their talents off the field. Baltimore's Alex Collins and New England's Cody Hollister are finalists in Sports Illustrated’s talent contest MVP: Most Valuable Performer.
The competition began on December 1 with video submissions, and through the weeks fans watched and voted for their favorites. Joining Collins and Hollister are Brandon Williams and Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens, Jonathan Stewart of the Carolina Panters, Hollister’s twin brother Jacob of the New England Patriots and Kevin Zeitler of the Cleveland Browns.
Rated the No. 13 running back in the nation by Rivals.com, Collins chose the Razorbacks over Florida, Florida State, Miami and Wisconsin. Although he left after his junior season, Collins finished his career second in Arkansas history in rushing yards (3,703) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (36).
Collins became only the third player in conference history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, joining former Hog great Darren McFadden and Herschel Walker. He was named All-SEC second team by the coaches as a junior and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the 171st pick in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Known for his footwork and agility, Collins credits those talents he’ll be displaying in this competition: Irish dancing. He began the art in 2016 to prepare for the NFL Draft. Since then, Collins’ skill has made headlines, even allowing him to meet and encourage Carl Tubbs, a 12-year-old boy who was bullied for Irish dancing. Collins will put his newfound love on display for all to see this Thursday.
Less decorated than Collins, Hollister transferred to Arkansas in 2014 as a sophomore out of Arizona Western CC. In his three-year career, Hollister caught 27 passes for 342 yards and one touchdown. He had a career-high four catches for 65 yards against Toledo in 2015. Hollister missed most of his junior season with a broken foot.
Unique to the competition, Hollister will be competing alongside his twin brother, Jacob, as they sing and play the guitar. Both Hollister’s were picked up by the New England Patriots as undrafted free agents in 2017. With a Super Bowl LII appearance on the horizon, winning this competition probably isn’t the highest priority for these two Patriots skill guys.
Most Valuable Performer can be seen this Thursday, January 25 at 7:00 pm (CST) on CBS. LL Cool J is set to host, and there will be a panel of celebrity judges. During the broadcast, fans can head to CBS.com to vote for who they think is the real Most Valuable Performer.