Holley Mangold is a 5 foot 9 inches 300 pound can of whoop a*s with a heart of gold. She plays American football as a junior at Archbishop Alter High in Kettering, Ohio. She plays the position of lineman and now because of her for the first time sports magazines are calling the position, linewoman. Being a princess type of gal I don’t know exactly what that position requires but there is a lot of footage of Holley full on running into guys and knocking them over. Here is the beginning of her “hit em hard” days as told by her father, Vern in The Columbus Dispatch:

Her father, Vern, realized as much when Holley was 2 years old. ‘‘We’re watching television, and she climbs up onto the arm of the couch," Vern said. ‘‘I can see she’s going to dive off, so I’m diving over the coffee table to try and catch her, but I can’t.

‘‘She smacks herself on the floor, shakes her head, and climbs onto the couch to do it again." Vern stopped her. But that’s the last time anyone stopped Holley from doing what she wanted.

Word. Holley has an official website at http://www.holleymangold.net/ and the first page plays the song “Brickhouse” by the Commodores. This irony is not lost on me. “Brickhouse” is an ode to an hourglass shaped woman, it even has her body measurements in the song. Basically the song is all about a woman whose body is gaining her male attention. Perfect Holley, same exact thing only different repercussions. This is precisely why Holley is my new heroine.

Daddy’s Girl

You can tell a lot about how a woman will turn out by how the men in her family treat her. Holley’s father, Vern has said that he didn’t want his daughter to play football at first. But as a father you are always proud when your little girl does well and well, Holley does well. Nowadays Vern sings a different tune:

"Like a lot of rock-headed coaches, they tried to run the ball at her twice in a row. They got stonewalled," Vern said. "They didn't run that way anymore. She makes believers out of folks. Holley just enjoys that cold rush when you smack into somebody. It's hard for me to say about my little buttercup, but it's true."

To Vern, Holley is a little buttercup and always will be. Her father loves her no matter what and that is fab.

As for her big brother Holley had to physically compete with him, because your older brother will beat you up, it is a fact of life. So if you can win some of those fights you are in good shape. Holley growing up watched her big brother attend football camp and she decided she wanted to play football also. Her brother Nick Mangold, plays professional football for the Jets. He has said that Holley was an OK player but needed to work on her footwork. For an older brother that is high praise indeed!

High School Holley

Holley is in high school. Most high school girls are trying their hardest to lose weight, reading fashion magazines religiously, and starving themselves with an everyday diet coke lunch. Holley on the other hand comes from a family on the heavy side. She knows she will never be 97 pounds and will always be too tall. So she works with herself. Holley could be eating a supersized Big Mac meal and the men around her would say “good job Holley can I get you an apple pie?” Because the bigger she is, the better. Holley can eat anything she wants and not feel guilty and that is freedom.

I think the next big issue with high school girls is popularity, like being able to sit with the popular people. Guess where Holley eats her supersized meal everyday? At the cool table. She is part of the football team, all the “hot” football players know her and like her. There is no one higher on the high school food chain than a football player and Holley IS one. She gets to be the cake and eat it too.

And finally the game of grab a*s. If you are female and went to high school you inevitably had some bloke grab your bottom in the hallway, when you turn around to slap him, there is a large crowd and whoever did it fades anatomously into the crowd. Well NOBODY tries to grab Holley’s bottom. She has stated before that one of the appeals of football for her is the “thrill of the hit” and watching them fall down. One reaction comes to mind of a friend of mine, Benjamin 9000 who is the editor of Celebrity Pets Zine:

“Holy Sh*t that girl could kill you! She has a lower center of gravity...I would run.” Ben would never touch a woman inappropriately and he is not a small guy either, that is why his reaction is so telling. So the next time a guy grabs you in the hallway, put your book bag in front of you and charge! Holley would. (hee hee)

Holley Gives It Up For Charity

Holley set the national AAU record squat lift with a lift of 525lbs. She carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, and decides to give back. Holley recently was involved in a liftathon, using her power to get donations against her lifting. She raised a bit sum for charity. She periodically does charity events on her website so check it out if you are feeling altruistic.

Holley will never be on a diet, will sit at the cool table, and knock over the entire defensive line of a football team and then get big hug from her dad. Whenever I am faced with adversity I will channel my inner Holley. Holley would never go lightly.

~taste the rainbow~