Johnny Holland facts for kids

Johnny Ray Holland, born on March 11, 1965, is a well-known American football coach and a former player. He is currently the linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL).

Holland played as a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers from 1987 to 1993. He was later honored by being inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Before playing professionally, he was a college football star for the Texas A&M Aggies. He was chosen in the second round of the 1987 NFL draft. Holland also won a Super Bowl championship with the Packers. He is also a member of the Texas A&M Hall of Fame and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.

Playing Football: Johnny Holland's Journey

Johnny Holland had an impressive career as a football player, starting in high school and continuing through college and into the NFL.

High School Achievements

Holland graduated from Hempstead High School in Hempstead, Texas. While there, he was a standout athlete in many sports. He earned "All-State" honors in both football and basketball. At the same time, he was also one of the top students in his class. Johnny Holland was the first of only three Hempstead High School alumni to play in the NFL.

College Football Career

Before becoming a professional player, Holland played four years of college football at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He was a starter for three of those years. For a long time, he held the record for the most tackles in Texas A&M history. This record was eventually broken in 1998.

Playing in the NFL

The Green Bay Packers picked Johnny Holland in the second round of the 1987 NFL draft. He was a very consistent player for them. For six years in a row, he made over 100 tackles each season. Holland decided to retire from playing after the 1993 season. In 2001, his great contributions were recognized when he was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Coaching Football: Johnny Holland's Career

After his playing days, Johnny Holland began a long and successful career as a football coach in the NFL and other leagues.

Early Coaching with the Packers

Holland started his coaching career with the Green Bay Packers. From 1995 to 1997, he worked as a defensive quality control coach. He then coached special teams in 1998 and linebackers in 1999. During this time, he helped the Packers reach two NFC championships in a row. He also helped them win an NFL championship in Super Bowl XXXI.

Coaching Across Different Teams

In 2000, Holland moved to the Seattle Seahawks. He first worked as an assistant special teams coach and an assistant strength and conditioning coach. In 2001 and 2002, he returned to coaching linebackers, a role he knew well.

For the 2003 season, Holland joined the Detroit Lions. He was a defensive assistant coach from 2003 to 2004. In 2005, he coached the linebackers for the Lions. In 2006, Holland returned to his home state of Texas. He became the linebackers coach for the Houston Texans and stayed there until 2011.

In 2012, Holland was hired by the Oakland Raiders to coach their linebackers. He later joined the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2014. After coaching in the CFL, he returned to the NFL in 2016. He became the inside linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns. Since 2017, he has been coaching linebackers for the San Francisco 49ers. From 2018 to 2020, he also served as the outside linebackers coach and run game specialist. He continues to coach linebackers for the 49ers today.

Family Life

Johnny Holland is married to Faith Holland. They have two children, a son named Jordan Holland and a daughter named Joli Holland.