He was born to Eric Holtzclaw and Kumiko Holtzclaw, a Japanese. His father is a Lieutenant with the Enid Police Department, approximately 70 miles north of Oklahoma City.
He graduated from Enid High School in 2005. He played linebacker at Eastern Michigan University, where he graduated with a degree in criminal justice in 2010. He unsuccessfully attempted to get drafted into the NFL after graduation and he joined the Oklahoma City Police Department.
