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Patriots’ Mack Hollins arrived at Super Bowl dressed as a prisoner

New England Patriots receiver Mack Hollins has arrived to NFL games in some pretty interesting outfits.

His Fred Flintstone and Animal (from the Muppets) costumes worn during past pregame tunnel walks leap to mind.

None of that, however, quite compares to the look he sported before Super Bowl LX. Hollins entered Levi’s Stadium on Sunday wearing a maroon prisoner’s jumpsuit, shackles on his wrists and ankles, and a plastic mask covering his face from the nose down, similar to the one worn by Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs.”

The back of Hollins’ shirt read “Range 13.” According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, that’s a reference to a special set of cells at a Florence, Colo., Supermax federal prison reserved for prisoners who need the tightest security.

The facility has been called “the Alcatraz of the Rockies” — so maybe Hollins’ outfit is a nod toward the Super Bowl being held in somewhat close proximity to the former (for now, at least) federal prison in the San Francisco Bay.

Also, Hollins wears jersey No. 13, so it could be a reference to that as well. The front of his shirt featured the prisoner number “P-131311” and that could possibly mean … something?

Speaking of football jerseys, Hollins also was carrying one from Walsh Jesuit High School bearing the number 84. That one is actually easily explained — it’s the high school jersey (or, presumably, a replica of it) once worn by Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. Hollins went on to wear the jersey during warmups before Sunday’s game.

Mack Hollins smiles and makes a one-handed catch during warm-ups. He wears a black jersey with the number 84 in red.

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins wears coach Mike Vrabel’s high school jersey while warming up before Super Bowl LX.

(Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)

One other thing to note about Hollins’ attire for his stadium entrance and during warmups — he wasn’t wearing shoes. That might have been the least surprising aspect of Hollins’ pregame looks since he has been known to wear shoes only when absolutely necessary.

“Everyone should be barefoot,” Hollins told NBC Sports in 2023. “You don’t see people walking around in mittens.”

He added: “Shoes are definitely dirtier than feet. Because I wash my feet all the time. When’s the last time you washed the bottom of your shoe?”

So, yeah, Hollins is a pretty quirky guy. According to Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports, Hollins does not eat vegetables, avoids drinking water (his preference is watermelon juice) and prefers to eat with his hands rather than use utensils.

“He’s probably No. 1 on the unique list,” Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs said of Hollins during Super Bowl week. “He’s actually taught me a lot. Alternative medicines, things he does, things he eats, how he moves on the daily. He is definitely one of my different teammates.’”

Mack Hollins lifts his arms to catch a football with Seattle's Riq Woolen behind him

New England Patriots receiver Mack Hollins catches a pass as Seattle Seahawks’ Riq Woolen defends during Super Bowl LX on Sunday in Santa Clara.

(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)

In eight NFL seasons, Hollins played for the Philadelphia Eagles (winning a Super Bowl ring following his rookie season in 2017), Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills before signing with the Patriots last offseason.

Hollins was the Patriots’ leading receiver during their 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX. He had four catches for 78 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Drake Maye in the fourth quarter.

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Rams will play the San Francisco 49ers in Australia next season

The Rams will face a familiar opponent next season in Australia.

The Rams, who last year were designated the home team for the first NFL game in Australia, will play the NFC West-rival San Francisco 49ers, the league announced Thursday during “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN. Australian actor and conservationist Robert Irwin, son of the late Steve Irwin of “Crocodile Hunter” fame made the announcement.

The NFL has not announced a date for the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but it almost certainly will be in the first week because of the 19-hour time difference and the length of travel for both teams.

“As we make history with the NFL and bring the first regular season game to Australia, we are pleased to take our annual matchup against our NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers to the MCG,” said Rams president Kevin Demoff in a statement. “Since we first secured marketing rights to the country in 2021 and more recently since the announcement of this game last year, we have seen tremendous excitement for our team from fans both in Australia and also across the world. We look forward to spending this offseason continuing to deepen our connection with the Melbourne community leading up to the game this fall.”

As part of the process for International Series games, the NFL allows designated home teams to protect two of its scheduled home games from being played abroad.

With the game against the 49ers, which annually draws tens of thousands of 49ers fans, being played in Australia, the Rams’ home opponents at SoFi Stadium next season will be the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and the Chargers.

As part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program, the Rams in the last decade were granted rights in Mexico, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

The Rams have been actively promoting their brand in Australia. Last June, after the Rams held a minicamp in Hawaii, defensive lineman Kobie Turner, offensive lineman Steve Avila and tight end Davis Allen traveled to Melbourne for a fan combine.

Since returning to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams have played four International Series games, all in London, including a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars last October.

In 2026, in addition to the game in Australia, the NFL has confirmed three games in London and one each in Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Madrid and Paris.

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