Beat drums. Beat drums. Beat Chiefs.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins has been likened to an untamed beast. Enter the Animal.
Hollins walked into Arrowhead Stadium dressed head to almost toe – Hollins walks barefoot whenever possible – as Animal from The Muppets for the Bills AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
He wore a fuzzy Animal head with a thick chain dangling from his neck, cropped yellow and red flame shirt, a rope belt tied around his waist and frayed brown pants.
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem is Animal’s band but could refer to the Bills offense. Buffalo led the AFC in scoring and recorded a franchise record 525 points and 65 touchdowns.
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The Bills will hope they don’t hit a snare and crash against the Chiefs, who have knocked them out of the playoffs three times in four seasons.
The temperature is barely above freezing in Kansas City. Mack Hollins’ pregame outfits are still on fire.
Hollins has sole power. He arrived for a game last month dressed as a barefoot mad scientist after the Buffalo region was hit with 2 feet of snow. He’s upped his pregame for the playoffs. Hollins entered Highmark Stadium in a Fred Flintstone costume and fuzzy Buffalo hat with horns before the Bills routed the Broncos in the wild-card round. He walked into Highmark Stadium in freezing temperatures ready for a day at the beach like a Bills fan on spring break. Hollins wore Bills Zubaz swim trunks and an open Bills floral shirt with a Bills beach towel, a straw Bills hat, a Bills beach football, sunglasses and a nose covered in sunscreen.
Hollins garnered attention from the Buffalo organization and fans for going barefoot at training camp. Add on a self-destructed fringed and frayed T-shirt and Hollins was compared to Tarzan. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Bills teammates, including Josh Allen and wide receiver Keon Coleman, dipped their toes into the barefoot experience.
Bills barefoot player
Hollins has been going barefoot for several years unless he’s required to wear shoes, such as during an NFL game. He thinks “everyone should be barefoot.” Hollins has highlighted health benefits of going barefoot, including strengthening the knee and ankle.
Hollins has supported his hygienic beliefs by saying he frequently washes his feet and that people don’t walk around in mittens.
“Shoes are definitely dirtier than feet,” Hollins said. “When’s the last time you washed the bottom of your shoe?”
“Shoes are a tool. You wouldn’t walk around with a hammer just because you might nail something every once in a while. Why walk around in shoes just because you might step on something every once in a while?”
What has Mack Hollins worn to Bills games?
Divisional round: Life’s a beach
Wild-card round: Fred Flintstone
Week 17: Deck the Hollins
Week 16: Faux Buffalo fur jacket and head
Week 13: Mad scientist
Week 11: Construction worker
Mack Hollins stats
Hollins led the Bills with five receiving touchdowns in the 2024 regular season.
- 2017: Philadelphia; 16 games; 16 receptions; 226 receiving yards; 14.1 yards per reception; 1 touchdown
- 2019: Philadelphia and Miami; 16 games; 10 receptions, 125 receiving yards; 12.5 yards per reception; 0 touchdowns
- 2020: Miami; 16 games; 16 receptions; 176 receiving yards; 11.0 yards per reception; 1 touchdown
- 2021: Miami; 17 games; 14 receptions; 223 receiving yards; 15.9 yards per reception; 4 touchdowns
- 2022: Las Vegas; 17 games; 57 receptions; 690 receiving yards; 12.1 yards per reception; 4 touchdowns
- 2023: Atlanta; 13 games; 18 receptions; 251 receiving yards; 13.9 yards per reception; 0 touchdowns
- 2024: Buffalo; 17 games; 31 receptions; 378 receiving yards; 12.2 yards per reception; 5 touchdowns
- Career: 112 games; 162 receptions; 2,069 receiving yards; 12.8 yards per reception; 15 touchdowns; 1 fumble recovery; 28 tackles
Mack Hollins salary
Hollins signed a one-year, $2.6 million contract with Buffalo in March.
Who is No. 13 on the Buffalo Bills?
Mack Hollins wears No. 13 on the Bills. Hollins wore Nos. 10 and 16 on the Philadelphia Eagles, No. 86 on the Miami Dolphins, No. 18 on the Atlanta Falcons and No. 10 on the Las Vegas Raiders.