Trindon Holliday certainly doesn’t look like he belongs in the NFL. He’s only 5-foot-5 and 162 pounds.
Yet the former LSU running back, receiver and return specialist has knocked around the NFL for four seasons since being taken in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Houston Texans.
The trouble is, Holliday hasn’t stuck around in one place very long. He’s gone from the Texans to the Broncos, back to the Texans, then sped off to the Giants, 49ers and Bucs. In 2014, he played for three teams, played just two games and returned only two punts and five kickoffs.
Now he’s been signed by the Raiders and hopes to challenge TJ Carrie for punt-return duties while also getting a chance to return kicks.
What Holliday brings to the Raiders is speed and elusiveness, two qualities he showed in 2012 when he led the NFL in punt-return yardage in 15 games split between Denver and Houston. That year, he had 48 punt returns for 481 yards, a 10.0 average and one touchdown. He also had 21 kickoff returns for a 26.3 average that included a 105-yard TD.
Just three seasons ago, Holliday became the first player ever to return both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in a playoff game, in the Broncos’ 38-35 loss to the Ravens.
If Holliday is healthy and given a chance, he could help give the Raiders a playmaker on special teams that they have lacked.
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But in his short career, he’s had trouble with fumbles and injuries.
Now he’s getting one more chance.
“There’s no question the former top sprinter can make players miss, of course,” wrote Conor Orr of NFL.com this week. “Getting speed in space is one of the more difficult thigns to do in the NFL. But if someone can get Holliday more opportunities to fly out in the open, he might stick somewhere for a while.”
