Holecek started eight games over the course of his first three seasons with the Bills (1995-1998). After playing in only one game his rookie season due to injury, Holecek was ready to be a regular contributor to the team in 1996 before another knee injury suffered in the first preseason game forced him to spend the entire year on injured reserve. Holecek also pursued completion of his MBA degree these seasons. In 1997 Holecek provided the first glimpse of his promising future as he recorded 86 combined tackles in eight starts (14 appearances). Head coach Marc Levy stated decades later that Holecek was one of his favorite NFL players to coach.