Louisville football: The 50 greatest Cardinals of all time

Though he only started for one year, Gerod Holliman made his time at Louisville count.

The safety out of Miami was a monster during his redshirt sophomore season, recording 44 tackles, a sack and 14 interceptions in 2014.

The school’s all-time single-season interception leader was a perfect player to help Louisville transition from the Charlie Strong era to Bobby Petrino and Todd Grantham-led defenses. He was a menace for opposing quarterbacks, often playing off his man and daring them to throw his way. And he rarely lost a battle with a receiver for the ball.

Holliman led the NCAA in interceptions during that 2014 season. He would have been sixth on the team in “catches” among wide receivers and running backs. Holliman went on to win the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in the country.

Holliman’s career was halted by injuries and was challenged by coaching changes, but his one year as the best defensive back in the country seems enough to merit him being one of the top 50 players in Louisville football history.

After college, Holliman was selected in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft but ultimately did not make the Pittsburgh Steelers final roster. He was relegated to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad for the 2015 NFL season.

He currently plays for the Columbus Lions, an arena football team in Columbus, Ohio. And, yes, he is still the interception king.