For 17 years and 364 days, Hawaii running back Fred Holly III lived without any marks.
“When I turned 18, I was feeling a little rebellious,” said Holly, whose present to himself was to decorate his chest with a collage of prayer hands, a religious piece, and roses.
When he unveiled the tattoo to his parents, Holly recalled, “my mom was kind of sad. My dad didn’t have too much to say. Ever since then, I’ve been kind of going to get more and more.”
His arms are a timeline of his life. There are drawings symbolizing Riverside, Calif., and the Inland Empire, where he was born and reared. There also are themes of “Family Over Everything” and the 915 area code. On the inside of his forearm is a likeness of his parents.
“My mom said, ‘You can’t get all those tattoos,’ and I showed her that (portrait), and she started crying,” Holly said. “I’m like, ‘See?’ They enjoyed that one.”
His favorite is his most recent, which is inked on his neck, just below his left earlobe. “It’s smile now, cry later,” Holly said. “It can go for anything in life. People doubting you. The naysayers. The people who are kind of hating on you sometimes. I look at it in that aspect.”
Holly has experienced the duality of fame that has gone more than skin deep. He was one of the jewels of coach Nick Rolovich’s first UH recruiting class, in 2016, after being named to the All-California team as a Norte Vista High senior. In three prep seasons, he rushed for 5,752 yards and 69 touchdowns. He gained 200-plus rushing yards in eight consecutive games.
But then at UH, expectations transformed to what-the-heck questions after he redshirted in 2016 and made two cameos in 2017.
“You see a high-profile guy with certain standards, and stuff like that, that’s just life,” Holly said. “It happens in the workforce and different aspects of life every day. Things don’t always go as planned. As long as you never quit, you don’t know what the outcome can be. That’s my biggest motivation. Just because it doesn’t look all sweet right now, that doesn’t stop me from being motivated.”
In 2018, following record-setting running back Diocemy Saint Juste’s graduation, Holly and 250-pound Dayton Furuta formed a lightning-thunder combo. As the 6-foot, 200-pound speed back, Holly led the Rainbow Warriors with 468 rushing yards. He averaged 3.52 yards after initial contact or eluding a tackle. He also caught all eight passes when he was the primary target.
In the offseason, Holly, now 205 pounds, gained strength through a core-based exercise program, and cut fat through a meal plan of vegetables, lean protein and moderation. “You really mess up your diet when you can’t control yourself,” Holly said. “It’s about mental toughness.”
Holly added: “I’m a healthy 205 now. I like how I’m moving. I feel I’m more durable, too.”
No. Running back Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown
7 Dayton Furuta 5-11 250 Sr. Mililani
21 Fred Holly III 6-0 205 Jr. Riverside, Calif.
26 Miles Reed 5-8 190 So. Corona, Calif.
44 Hekili Keli‘iliki 6-2 225 So. Bentonville, Ark.
34 KK Padello 5-11 220 Sr. Mililani
QUOTE:
“What makes them special is the attitude, camaraderie and the work ethic. It’s a special room because they all really push for each other, root for each other, work great together, and they understand the bigger picture of making the team better.” — Brian Smith, offensive coordinator and running backs coach.
SCOUTING REPORT
The Warriors had enough faith in the running backs that they did not recruit a player to the position. Instead, they had an even swap — Justice Augafa moved to safety and KK Padello crossed over from the defense. That move was prompted when Padello raced 65 yards for a touchdown in the Scout Bowl. Dayton Furuta (5.38 yards per first-down rush) revived the Big Back Era when West Keliikipi, Reagan Mauia and Nate Ilaoa rumbled the turf. Fred Holly III has developed into a dependable back. Miles “Bam-Bam” Reed is a shifty back who averaged 5.38 yards per first-down rush. The backs also are reliable receivers, catching 95.6 percent of the passes their way.
