By: David Beall
KENNESAW, Ga. – Former Kennesaw State football running back
Darnell Holland got another shot at a professional career Wednesday evening when he was selected in Phase 5 of the XFL Draft by the Dallas Renegades.
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The XFL will reimagine football for the 21st century when it kicks off the weekend of February 8-9, 2020, committed to delivering a brisk, fast-paced game, with a fan-centric, innovative, and affordable gameday experience.
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The inaugural season will launch with teams in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington D.C. Each team will compete with a 45-man active roster over a 10-week regular season with a postseason consisting of two semifinal playoff games and a championship game.
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A 2018 AFCA All-America selection, Holland helped the Owls win their second straight Big South Conference championship last fall in just their fourth year of existence. As one of the most dynamic running backs in all of FCS, Holland took full advantage of KSU's triple option attack, rushing for 949 yards last year on just 80 attempts to average 11.9 yards per carry.
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A lightning bolt in the backfield, Holland became just the second player in Big South history with 70-plus yard touchdown runs in back-to-back weeks when he accomplished the feat against Tennessee Tech and Alabama State during the 2018 season.
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To go along with his nine rushing scores last year, Holland added two receiving touchdowns and led the team with 1,568 all-purpose yards, including running a kickoff back for a score. He finished his career with 2,431 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns.
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The Bowdon, Georgia, native ended his college career as one of the most explosive players in program history, leading the Owls to back-to-back appearances in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs and 19 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top 25.
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Every XFL game – every week – will be nationally televised and easy-to-find for fans coast-to-coast. Starting in February 2020, the XFL will air weekly on ABC and FOX, with games also on ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and FS2. Vince McMahon, XFL Founder and Chairman, is personally funding the new league, and building the XFL with the same commitment and resolve that he has demonstrated building WWE into a global media and sports entertainment powerhouse.
