March 18th, 1992: "Holland the 'Mouth' Has Plenty to Talk About"

A little background info on Birmingham Fire defensive back John Robert Holland provided by the Birmingham Post-Herald.

Holland is the father of Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland. Jevon was born in British Columbia, Canada. The following are excerpts from an article that appeared in The Province, a Vancouver newspaper, in late April of 2021, prior to that year's NFL draft. They make for a great "where are they now?" segment about John Robert.

(Jevon's) father, John Robert, broke into the CFL with the B.C. Lions in 1990, before putting up an “All-World” season with the Birmingham Fire in the World League of Football and then joining the San Francisco 49ers for a couple of years. He returned to the CFL in 1993, winning a Grey Cup and earning an all-star nod in 1994, before returning to B.C.

But it was the first year in B.C. following his time at Sacramento State that Holland — who was the original “Hollywood” before his son took over the nickname — sunk the deepest roots.

“The Canadian Football League, it actually saved my life. It saved me,” said the eldest Holland. “Just imagine, whatever sport you’re in — mine happens to be football — and you just put everything into it through high school and into college.

“At some point, we all realize that the game catches up with us and we don’t get to move on, but just imagine if you put everything in and as you’re going through it, you’re realizing that you’re being overlooked, that there’s more in you but no one can hear you, no one can see you.

...

In his first game with B.C. after being activated off the practice roster, he picked off Ottawa’s Damon Allen — only to have general manager Joe Kapp admonish him for not returning it for a touchdown after stepping out-of-bounds.

Neither Kapp nor head coach Lary Kuharich lasted long that season, with both getting the axe by management. But Holland remembers the legendary Jim Young coming in — Dirty 30 himself — and being in disbelief that the guy in Vans, dirty shorts and a loud Hawaiian shirt was the new coach.

There was the time at training camp, with newcomer Doug Flutie on guitar and Holland providing the off-key vocals and dancing, the two giving an impromptu concert, before Holland ordered pizza — using the team credit card.

...

He (later) joined the Lions as a strength and conditioning coach, an extension of a business he had already started: Holland Fitness & Performance. He trained CFLers and elite athletes of all sports, and takes credit for starting the focused training and seven-a-side leagues for kids in B.C.

When he left B.C. for Pleasanton in 2008, he left all his equipment to others who would assume the mantle; trainers like former CFLers Adam Braidwood, Will Loftus and Tommy Europe.

The coaching has never stopped with Jevon, nor his eldest son Jamirr and daughter Jada, both of whom are elite athletes in their own right. 

...

Holland has coached Jevon in football since age six, and can count potential impact draftees like Edmonton’s Chuba Hubbard, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn among his clientele.

“Everybody’s journey is different,” said Robert. “I had a nice long professional career. I didn’t turn out to be a millionaire, the way these kids are nowadays, but I learned so much about playing, and then learned so much about being a coach, and then being a teacher.

The coaching appears to have paid off for Jevon. He was drafted 36th overall and was the first safety selected in the 2021.