John Francis Holecek (born May 7, 1972) is a former professional American football player and nationally recognized football coach. He played linebacker for eight seasons in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, the San Diego Chargers, and the Atlanta Falcons. He went to college at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and played with perhaps the best college linebacker corps every assembled. Despite knee injuries lowering high draft expectations and ending Butkus Award speculation, Holecek finished his Illini career with over 430 tackles. Holecek was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1995, played for the San Diego Chargers in 2001, and for the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. Holecek played in the NFL for 8 seasons and was credited for over 560 career tackles and winning NFL Player of the Week honors. He returned to the Chicago area and was the head football coach for 17 years at Loyola Academy - who won the 2015, 2018, and 2022 Class 8A Illinois Football State Championships. Holecek was a finalist for the 2015 National Coach of the Year award. His often nationally-ranked Loyola teams had played internationally and hosted a ESPN High School Kickoff game in 2022. Coach Holecek announced his Loyola Academy retirement in December 2022 (with a cumulative 185-36 record), planning to focus "on the next chapter of his career”. Marian Catholic career Holecek was a three-sport athlete at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, excelling in wrestling, baseball, and football. Holecek was selected to a Chicago all-star baseball team that toured Europe his junior summer, but he decided to play football after receiving multiple Big Ten and division one scholarship offers. Holecek played both tight end and middle linebacker for Marian coach Dave Mattio. Coach Mattio reflected on Holecek in a 2001 Times newspaper interview, "Most people don't know he was a good catcher and could have been a great wrestler," Mattio said. "Even then, I saw how he never quit and everything had to be perfect. He was a tough kid, I compare him to street kid because of his toughness and being hard-nosed on the field. He played hard and the thing about John, he could run for a big guy". Holecek finished his high school career with 243 tackles, 13 sacks, two fumble recoveries, three interceptions, two punts blocked, 16 receptions and 2 TD passes. Holecek was All-State and named the “Defensive Player of the Year”