It's only appropriate Sam Hollenbach is in the same neighborhood as Chris Turner (No. 37) on this list.
Both were multi-year starters at Maryland.
Both seemed buried on the depth chart as camp began for their sophomore years and at least briefly considered transferring at one time or another.
Both are bright guys who had interests extending well beyond football.
And both ended up much higher on the Terrapins' career passing lists than just about anyone would have guessed.
Hollenbach started 24 of 25 games at one point, leading Maryland to a 9-4 record and a Champs Sports Bowl victory in 2006. Included in that season were victories over Florida State and Miami, making the Terps the first team to sweep the two schools in the same year since Florida in 1985.
Hollenbach helped lead five rallies from fourth-quarter deficits --- Navy, Virginia and North Carolina in 2005, Virginia and Clemson in 2006 --- and wound up an honorable mention all-conference pick as a senior.
There isn't a vast divide between Hollenbach and his eventual successor as a multi-season starter. Hollenbach at his best (in 2006) was probably more consistent than Turner, who when he achieved some steadiness was stuck with a crumbling and inexperienced team around him as a senior. Hollenbach also had a stronger arm; his long touchdown passes to Darrius Heyward-Bey against Miami as a senior demonstrated that capability.
Hollenbach went out with an MVP performance in the Champs Sports Bowl, completing 15 of 24 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. It also helped edge him close to the top 30 of the top players of the Ralph Friedgen era.
Recent Comments