SANTA CLARA, Calif. - New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins has made it clear that he tries to avoid wearing shoes when he's away from the football field.
So it was no surprise that he arrived barefoot in Santa Clara, California, a few hours before Super Bowl LX kicked off. But what he was actually wearing may have been more of a surprise.
The 32-year-old walked toward the Patriots locker room wearing a facemask that appeared to be a nod to Hannibal Lecter, along with handcuffs around his wrists. Hollins' feet were also shackled, and a red jumpsuit had the words "Range 13" on the back.
Hollins, who won a Super Bowl during his rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles, had Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel's high school jersey in his hand as he walked through the Levi’s Stadium tunnel. Vrabel is aiming to be the first person to win a Super Bowl title as a player and later as a head coach for the same franchise.
Hollins went through some early warmups on the stadium turf on Sunday while wearing the No. 84 "Warriors" jersey — and, of course, without any cleats on.
While the jersey was a nod, it could have also hinted at the 1979 cult-favorite movie "The Warriors." The Patriots went undefeated on the road this past regular season and won the AFC Championship game in Denver. In a nod to the film, the idea of persevering away from home developed as a rallying cry for the team this year.
Clips of the 1980s professional wrestling duo, the Road Warriors, became a common theme for Vrabel to show the Patriots this season. Once Vrabel ran out of unseen clips to show the team, he pivoted to the videos from "The Warriors."
Vrabel, 50, told reporters last week that he was initially surprised the clips resonated with the players. "It's amazing what sticks. I didn't think at the time that it would have stuck, but here we are at the end of January, and it's still sticking," the former New England linebacker said.
While the Patriots were granted the home team designation for the neutral-site game, the team elected to wear their white road jerseys for Super Bowl LX — keeping in line with their "road warriors" mentality.
Sunday isn't the first time Hollins' pregame attire has raised some eyebrows.
Ahead of a January 2025 NFL playoff game between the Bills and the Ravens, the then-Buffalo receiver arrived at the Orchard Park, New York, stadium wearing sunglasses, a straw hat, swimming shorts and a floral shirt. He was also seen holding a beach towel, along with a Bills mini-football.