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Former Packer a family man
By MARTIN HENDRICKS, JSO
Lamont Hollinquest remembers the sacrifices his parents made. Now, as a single father, he is working hard to provide his children with the same opportunities.
The former Green Bay Packer linebacker from 1996-'98 grew up in Lynwood, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles.
Hollinquest's parents divorced when he was four years old, but they made sure he and his three siblings lived comfortably in the middle-class suburb.
His mother worked two jobs and went to school to complete a nursing degree. His father was a hospital engineer who strove to attend all his children's school and sports activities.
Their top priority was providing their children with a private Catholic school education, minimizing exposure to the rampant gang activity in Los Angeles public schools during the mid-1980s.
"There was a lot of gang violence at that time," Hollinquest said. "Some of my friends died, some ended up in jail. My mom and dad did the best thing to send us to a more structured Catholic school. It's what got me a scholarship to USC.
"Not many of my friends had the support system we had - divorced parents that worked together - that afforded us the chance to go to a school without gang pressures. I was able to escape all that."
Hollinquest was a two-sport star at Pius X High School in Downey, Calif., earning All-State honors in both football and basketball. He grew up an Oakland Raiders and USC fan, and became a four-year letter winner and two-year starter at linebacker for the Trojans.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Hollinquest was an eighth-round draft choice of the Washington Redskins in 1993, but after nearly two seasons was waived and picked up by Cincinnati.
He never played a down for the Bengals, was released in training camp the following year and was out of football for the 1995 season. He worked out for several NFL teams, but finally got his second chance in January 1996 - courtesy of a former USC Trojan.
Packer head coach Mike Holmgren, who played quarterback at USC from 1966-'69, gave Hollinquest a fresh start in Green Bay.
"Coach Holmgren and Reggie McKenzie (pro personnel assistant) gave me a second chance and it paid off," he said.
Hollinquest played in all 16 regular-season games in 1996, finishing second on the team to linebacker Bernardo Harris in special teams tackles, with 15. He played in all three playoff contests, and recorded a special teams tackle in Super Bowl XXXI.
He emerged as Green Bay's leader in special teams tackles with 16 in 1997, and added value by being able to play all three linebacker positions. He started two games in 1998 for injured starter George Koonce, registering 13 tackles.
Hollinquest signed with Kansas City after the season, but was released in training camp. He was suspended for four regular-season games for a second violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy. Hollinquest was re-signed by Green Bay, but was released before the regular season.
"Lamont was a really good special teams guy," said Ron Wolf, former Packer general manager. "He made a big contribution in that area and was a player the coaches really liked. He was athletic, reliable, and showed up to work every day."
Hollinquest loved playing in the small-town atmosphere of tradition-rich Green Bay.
"There weren't a lot of distractions, so I could concentrate on football," he said. "I really didn't understand the game until I got to Green Bay - that was the first time I studied film and the game started to slow down for me."
Today, the 37-year-old Hollinquest lives in Phoenix with his son, Kohl, and works as an admissions adviser at Kaplan University, a local college.
Hollinquest has Sunday, February 3, circled on his family's calendar. That's when the NFC and AFC champions will meet in Super Bowl XLII in his backyard, at the University of Phoenix Stadium. He hopes that his former team will be one of the participants.
"My youngest son, Kohl (age 9), lives with me, and he's excited about the possibility of seeing the Packers play here in the Super Bowl," Hollinquest said. "I took Kohl with me to the 10-year reunion (of the Super Bowl XXXI team) last year. He saw Lambeau Field and heard a lot of stories about the 1996 team. He wants a Brett Favre autograph for Christmas - that's all he talks about. I have to make that happen."
Hollinquest enjoyed seeing a Packers game from a fan's point of view.
"We walked through the Lambeau parking lot to see the fans tailgating and soak in the atmosphere. And then when we got in the stadium, we felt that energy. It was something special to be part of the last Super Bowl Championship team in Green Bay."
Hollinquest also had the Green Bay-Dallas game circled on his calendar. From 1993-'95, the Packers' seasons ended with playoff losses to the Cowboys, who also handed Green Bay a decisive 21-6 defeat in Dallas in the 1996 regular season.
"We had quite a rivalry with the Cowboys, but it was one-sided," he said. "They beat us with seven field goals, which was tough. We had a lot of injuries and didn't have a good day.
"Finally, in 1997 we got them up to Lambeau when we were healthy and it was a different story."
Green Bay thumped Dallas, 45-17, on a cold, late November afternoon in 1997. It was a satisfying victory over an archrival in a 13-3 season that ended with a shocking loss to the underdog Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII.
Hollinquest's Super Bowl XXXI ring is in a safety deposit box, but he plans on breaking it out around NFL playoff time.
"I'll pull it out and wear it to the office a little bit," Hollinquest said with a laugh. "Show my support for Brett and the boys.
"I hope these young guys can experience what we did in a Super Bowl season. We had some great camaraderie, with everyone playing together. That's something I'll never forget."
Hollinquest is still a versatile performer, combining his passion for music and business as vice president of a music production company, Blaq Ice. He also has developed a clothing line, Urban Grunge Apparel Company. He enjoys the impact he has on others at Kaplan.
"I work hard to help people change their lives, help single parents get back into school and get their education," Hollinquest said.
"As a parent, I try to provide the benefits and stability for my kids to grow. I'm proud to say my kids are straight-A students. I miss football, but I wouldn't miss seeing my kids develop and grow up for anything."
