Danimal and Captain America: Meet Texas State's New Middle Linebacker Duo

What started with rides from a hotel to the Texas State football facility – and several smoothies in between – has turned into the most important duo on the new-look Texas State defense. 

Brian Holloway, a second-year linebacker out of Clear Lake, Texas, and Dan Foster Jr., a first-year transfer coming over from Sun Belt foe Marshall and originally from Riviera Beach, Fla., have become fast friends in the first eight months as teammates. 

Foster was one of the first newcomers to join first-year head coach GJ Kinne’s signing class back in December. He played in 30 games for the Thundering Herd from 2019 to 2022, but he used this time to reset his career and transfer to the Bobcats. His official visit in December was his first time in the state of Texas, and when he showed up in January, he did not have his car yet. Hence, the rides to the facility with his new teammate and now one of his best friends. 

Holloway was a late addition to last year’s newcomer class. He transferred from SMU as a graduate student at the start of fall camp in 2022, and after getting up to speed on the defensive system, he not only elevated his playing time as the season wore on, but he also became a leader on the team – a role he has taken on even more in 2023. 

On paper, the two are different. One (Foster) is a Florida guy with an energy and an aura of enthusiasm only contained by the walls by the building that surround him. The other (Holloway) is a Texan with a cerebral nature until he steps on a field, where he unearths a tenacity that is unmatched by the 21 others on the playing field at the same time. 

But when one settles into a conversation with both, it becomes apparent that the surface level differences stop there. They are bound by similar paths and stories. 

“We’ve had to grind for everything we have,” said Holloway. “Nothing was handed to me or Dan. If I cut myself short at any point, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now. If I didn’t work hard in high school, I wouldn’t have been able to go to junior college and then Division I from there. Dan had some offers out of high school. He’s told me he used to play defensive end, and he was a little chubby. He had to really grind to get in a position to compete at the Division I level.” 

The synergetic similarities not only translate to chemistry off the field, it has so far blossomed into a “same mind” thought process on the field. 

“I always say four eyes are better than two,” said Foster. “I can see things he doesn’t see, and he can see things I don’t. It’ll be the difference in your playing style and how you make plays. When it comes to being a linebacker, everything is pre-snap alignments and pre-snap reads. He can be keyed in on the offensive line, and I can be looking at the formations of the receivers. I can tell him, it’s a pass coming, and he can be looking at the guards and tell me to be ready for a pull.” 

This ability to see the obscure details is a result of the two watching hours of film and working together. The two have pushed each other since January to discover the next detail that could make or break a play by studying their opponents alongside one another. 

“You don’t always come into contact with people that want it as bad as you do,” said Foster. “But when do you come into contact with that type of person, you will bump heads but also get along. If you don’t want it as bad as we do, we’re going to weed you out.” 

“It’s made us hold each other to a really high standard,” added Holloway. “If one day you get home, and you’re not really feeling it, but Dan calls me and says let’s go to the facility to watch more film. What am I going to do, say no? Let’s do it. That’s a big motivator and it’s made me way better.” 

Holloway and Foster are projected to replace longtime contributors on the Texas State defense, Sione Tupou and London Harris. Those two were the team’s starting linebackers and leading tacklers in 2022. They finished with 298 combined tackles in 93 career games as Bobcats. However, the new linebacker duo is ready for the challenge of replacing their productive predecessors. 

“I thought they’ve had a great (fall) camp,” said Texas State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jonathan Patke. “Holloway, the way he practices, is second to none. The guy flies around to the ball. Nobody plays perfect, but he tries to do everything right and he tries really, really hard. And Dan, even from spring to fall camp, he’s upped his level. I think having the summer with Coach Huth (director of strength and conditioning for football, Bret Huth) and being in better shape, cutting down body fat, running a little bit better, bending a little bit better.” 

Holloway’s leadership has been integral for a Bobcat program with 53 new scholarship players and more than 70 total newcomers. He is one of 35 returning letterwinners and just one of five players on the Texas State defense who started five or more games in 2022.  

“He’s probably the captain right now because everyone sees how he practices,” said Patke. “He flies around, runs to the ball. I haven’t seen him get tired – he’ll tell me after practice he’s tired – but during practice, you would never know it because he’s full tilt all the way.” 

While Texas State has a majority of newcomers among its starters in 2023, the 2022 edition was the best in most statistical categories in the program’s FBS history. Holloway and his 49 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 1.0 sack were important contributors to that level reached. 

And now Holloway, along with other returning linebackers CJ Williams, Josh and John Emmanuel, and Kenny Haynes, are bringing Foster and other newcomers up to speed as the entire room learns a new base defense under Patke. The group has become close and its depth and competitiveness have become strengths for the team. 

“Since Brian and I have become so close, the rest of the room is competing with us,” said Foster. “But we’re competing with each other. Everyone in here is competing. It makes the whole room better. It brings that competitive spirit. So, say if we have someone in the room that is not so much a competitor but more being complacent, we’re going to look at you like you’re an outsider. We’re building a culture that if you don’t want to work, you might as well not show up because I’m going to beat you out every day.” 

The competitive spirit extends to the weight room as well. Holloway, who was mentioned in Bruce Feldman’s much anticipated and annual article, “College Football Freaks List,” on The Athletic, punches well above his weight in strength. That doesn’t mean Foster is too far behind. 

“My legs are stronger than Brian’s on the squat,” said Foster with a persuasive tone. “He has me on power cleans and bench, but other than that – we talk about this every day and I need to put this out in the world to hear. I don’t care if it’s only five more pounds, I squat more than Holloway.” 

“Ask Coach Huth for confirmation,” said a doubtful Holloway. 

The two have contrasting but complementary playing styles. As described by Foster, Holloway is “relentless and painless.” Foster, meanwhile, is a “really savvy football player” who “sees plays before they happen,” according to Holloway. 

And their position coach appreciates how the two have gelled together on and off the field. 

“I always say when you get comfortable with your ‘Mike’ and ‘Will’ (linebackers) together, they complement one each other really well,” said Patke. “If one misses it, the other fixes it because they start to know each other’s game. (Foster and Holloway’s) friendship off the field has grown. They’ve become really close, which I love to see because a ‘Mike’ and ‘Will’ (linebacker) should be close because they’re standing to each other every single play.” 

Starsky and Hutch, Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, 21 Jump Street. 

These are well known “buddy cop” duos from movies.

Now, Texas State has its own tandem patrolling sideline to sideline in 2023.  

Going by their nicknames, they are Danimal and Captain America (or Dan the Man and Hollow-Point). 

Their mutual drive – in their mindset to be better every day as well as the one that linked them together in the early days in San Marcos – is powering them to make a new presence in the middle of the Bobcat defense.