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On Monday afternoon, Coffee County senior football player Xavier Holland signed his letter of intent to play college football with the Florida A&M Rattlers.

“They seemed like a great fit,” said Holland. “They pursued me more, they’re a Division I school and the campus is beautiful so I thought everything about it was good. I’m going to miss the people that I’ve been friends with since I’ve moved here to Manchester, but I can’t wait to take that next big step going on to college.”

Holland, who played at cornerback, safety and wide receiver through his high school career, plans on majoring in sports management and would like to pursue a career in the sports field.

This past season, Florida A&M went 12-1, winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship and the Celebration Bowl. The team also has a combined record of 39-8 over the last four seasons combined, so Holland will be joining a team that has had a lot of recent success.

“I believe I fit in pretty well as a slot receiver but especially as a kickoff returner,” said Holland. “I think taking my vision and basketball background into account, I can be a big help on kickoff returns.”

Red Raider Football Coach Roger Haynes said about Xavier, “He’s a great kid, he understands the game of football really well and he has good work habits. We didn’t have him for very long, he had transferred here and it took him a while to learn our system, but last season he stepped in when we had several kids injured, played a lot and played well. We’re really happy for him and the opportunity he has.”