AUBURN | The transformation of Jeff Holland into a feared pass rusher started years ago but took an intriguing turn this summer thanks to a session of combat training.
Out of the session arose Sensei Mud and SEC quarterbacks haven’t been safe since.
“Coming into the season I did mixed martial arts with a guy named Ben Creamer,” Holland explained. “He taught me some hand-to-hand combat. Just a lot of moves and I got kind of good at it. I’ve been working on it all season and when the guys see me, they just call me Sensei Mud. And Mud has been my nickname.”
Holland and several of his fellow defensive linemen can be see working on their hand-to-hand skills during pregame warmups. The quick and powerful moves from the MMA training have helped Holland and his signature headband lead the SEC with 9.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles-for-loss.
“He plays the game because he loves to play football,” Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. “When you have a work ethic like he’s got, and love to compete like he loves to compete. It doesn’t shock you where he is at all.”
Holland came into this season with three career sacks. He served as a backup to Carl Lawson last season and spent his first two years at Auburn adding size and strength to his 6-foot-2 frame.
“The big thing is just waiting your turn,” Holland said. “I had a great player in front of me, Carl Lawson. He always said, ‘You’re going to be a great player one day.’ I just waited my turn, got better everyday in the weight room, got stronger, faster, just trusted the process. Man, it’s paying off now.”
His nine sacks also rank ninth nationally and 10th in Auburn single-season history with at least three more games to play. His play and the play of the defense has helped the Tigers climb to No. 6 in the CFP Rankings and within striking distance of the SEC Championship and the four-team college football playoffs.
“We needed everybody to buy in and everybody bought in,” Holland said. Now we’re on a pretty good roll. We’ve just got to stay working hard, stay grinding, execute. We can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
Auburn hosts ULM Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2. No. 1 Alabama visits Jordan-Hare Stadium the following Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
