Santonio Holmes News: Pro Sports Daily

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September 8

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Move over, Maz and Franco, you have a third member of the perpetual Pittsburgh superhero club. Bill Mazeroski and Franco Harris report that not a day goes by without someone asking them about their famous World Series home run or Immaculate Reception. The two feats, performed 12 years apart, could never be surpassed. Except now there are three in Pittsburgh. Santonio Holmes' Super Bowl-winning catch Feb. 1 deserves equal time with Maz's home run that smote the mighty New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series and with Franco's Immaculate Reception in 1972 that brought the Steelers their first playoff victory. As with those two men, Holmes forever will be linked to one unforgettable play in ..."

Holmes ready to keep returning punts

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September 8

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Santonio Holmes isn't ready to cede all of the punt-returning duties to preseason sensation Stefan Logan just yet. "I don't think anybody said I was not going to be returning punts this year," the Steelers wide receiver said. "That's not completely out of the picture." Holmes said he would like to serve as a situational punt returner as he did last season. He has averaged 8.2 yards on punt returns during his career. Holmes returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown in the Steelers' 35-24 win over the San Diego Chargers in an AFC divisional playoff game last January. "That's a part of my game," Holmes said of returning punts. "That's a part that gets me excited about going out every Sunday ..."

Holmes forever measured by the company he keeps

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September 8

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Move over, Maz and Franco, you have a third member of the perpetual Pittsburgh superhero club. Bill Mazeroski and Franco Harris report that not a day goes by without someone asking them about their famous World Series home run or Immaculate Reception. The two feats, performed 12 years apart, could never be surpassed. Except now there are three in Pittsburgh. Santonio Holmes' Super Bowl-winning catch Feb. 1 deserves equal time with Maz's home run that smote the mighty New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series and with Franco's Immaculate Reception in 1972 that brought the Steelers their first playoff victory. As with those two men, Holmes forever will be linked to one unforgettable play in ..."

Holmes raises funds to fight sickle-cell disease

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September 6

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Denzelle Kendrick spent all weekend thinking about how to make Saturday a perfect 13th birthday. Saturday afternoon, he got a little help from his local Super Bowl MVP. Denzelle was one of about 80 people at the Celebrity Bowl-A-Thon in Harmar, the first event of wide receiver Santonio Holmes' new charity, The III"

Holmes to raise funds for sickle-cell research

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September 4

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes will be the host for a celebrity bowl-a-thon tomorrow to raise funds for sickle-cell disease research and to assist families that have been affected by the disease. The event will benefit the III"

Holmes, Parker won't roam vs. Buffalo

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August 28

Beaver County Times

"When the Steelers play Buffalo on Saturday, they will be missing two key offensive starters. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes, pictured, and running back Willie Parker won't play because they have missed practice all week. Holmes took a helmet to the back in last week's preseason game in Washington. Parker came out of the 17-13 loss to the Redskins with an injured hamstring. It's expected that second-year pro Limas Sweed will start in place of Holmes. Rashard Mendenhall is expected to start in place of Parker, who missed the first preseason game due to back spasms. Also sitting out Saturday's game will be guard/center Darnell Stapleton, who's still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery; ..."

Prosecutors drop drug charges against Steelers' Holmes

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June 10

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Prosecutors dropped marijuana possession charges against Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes this morning after deciding there was not probable cause for the traffic stop that led to the charges. Mr. Holmes, 25, who was named Super Bowl MVP this year after his game-winning touchdown catch, was found with a small amount of marijuana after police pulled him over near Mellon Arena on Oct. 23. Assistant District Attorney Rachel Newman announced at a hearing this morning before Allegheny County Judge Lester G. Nauhaus that, after reviewing case law, she determined the stop would not hold up in court. Ms. Newman said that Pittsburgh Police Lt. Kevin Kraus received an anonymous tip that a ..."

Time For Holmes to Live Up to His True Potential as the Teams Number One WR in 2009

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June 1

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

columnist Matt Loede

"2008 was not exactly a normal season for Steelers WR Santonio Holmes, who went from the teams number two receiver, to being suspended for the Giants game for being caught with marijuana, to by the end of Super Bowl XLIII hoisiting the trophy as the games MVP. Holmes was the Steelers best player in last seasons three playoff games, taking a punt back for a TD vs the Chargers, pulling in and going 65 yards for a score vs the Ravens, and then making three huge catches in the final touchdown drive in the Super Bowl vs the Cardinals. The question now this offseason, can Holmes take over the Steelers number one receiver spot, and if so, what can be expected of this former first-round pick? The ..."

Steelers' Holmes waives right to hearing on marijuana

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February 26

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes today waived his right to a preliminary hearing on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. Mr. Holmes appeared briefly in Municipal Court. The case will now proceed to trial or to some other form of disposition. The Super Bowl star was cited after a stop on Oct. 23 near Mellon Arena when police found three marijuana-filled cigars in his sport utility vehicle."

Pittsburgh's Holmes fined for Super celebration

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February 20

Arizona Republic

"NFL.com is reporting that a league source has confirmed a $10,000 fine has been levied against Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes for using using the football as a prop following his game-winning touchdown catch against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII."

Holmes fined $10K for Super Bowl winning TD celebration

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February 19

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The issue over whether Santonio Holmes should have been penalized 15 yards for celebrating -- after a significant pause -- his winning touchdown reception in the Super Bowl might grow now that he's officially been fined $10,000 by the league. Holmes was not flagged by the officials after it occurred because they apparently did not see it. Holmes impersonated a move by basketball's LeBron James when he shook the football and tossed it into the air. But he did not do it immediately after he caught the winning touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left. The 6-yard touchdown pass gave the Steelers a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Mike Pereira, the NFL's VP of ..."

Did Holmes elevate his Fantasy status for '09?

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February 5

CBSSports.com

columnist Dave Richard

"Jerry Rice had Terrell Owens. Cris Carter had Randy Moss. Marvin Harrison has Reggie Wayne. The legacy of a star receiver turning over the No. 1 spot to a teammate has gone on for years. And now, after Santonio Holmes was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII, many people believe that he has been passed Pittsburgh's torch by 11-year veteran Hines Ward, and as such is the new best Fantasy receiver for the club. Don't buy into that hype so soon. Holmes is getting plenty of attention following his nine-catch, 131-yard effort against the Cardinals that included a six-yard Carter-esque tiptoe haul along the right side of the end zone with 35 seconds left that clinched the win. It was one of four ..."

Giants' Tyree still thinks his catch is best ever

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February 4

Newsday

"Rodney Harrison couldn't defend "The Catch," so why should David Tyree? The Giants' receiver won't say that his fourth-quarter reception in last year's Super Bowl was any more exciting, athletic or important than the winning grab Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes made in the corner of the end zone Sunday. "If they really want to give it away, they can give it away," he said of the mantle of greatest catch in Super Bowl history. But when viewed in the big picture, Tyree thinks his gem has an edge. "If you talk about the drama and everything that was on the line in our game last year, I don't know if all those intangibles were on the line [this year]," he said last night when he was honored ..."

Holmes, learn from Burress

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February 3

Newsday

columnist Bob Glauber

"Santonio Holmes had just won the Super Bowl MVP award, but he wasn't much into celebrating the moment. At least not in the conventional sense. Once he got back to his hotel room after the Steelers' breathtaking 27-23 win over the Cardinals, he hung out with his three kids. "I just stayed in and relaxed a lot," he said. "The kids were very excited about watching Madagascar II." Make a spectacular catch and keep both feet - or, should we say, toes - inbounds and win the Super Bowl one minute, chillax with the kids the next. Cool stuff. Especially for the 24-year-old Holmes, who has done a lot of growing up in the last few months. It was back in late October when Holmes was charged with ..."

Holmes basks in afterglow of Super Bowl-winning catch

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February 3

Denver Post

"Santonio Holmes figured he had blown it. He reckoned his one chance to win Super Bowl XLIII for the Steelers in the final minute of the fourth quarter Sunday night literally slipped right through his hands when he failed to catch a pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the corner of the end zone. Instead, Roethlisberger went right back to Holmes, a third-year receiver who was the team's first-round draft pick in 2006, and Holmes made a jaw-dropping, toe-dragging, game-winning touchdown catch, securing MVP honors in the process. "Coming back and having faith in me and believing that I could be the one to make that play, (Roethlisberger) gave me the opportunity in the back of the end zone, and I ..."

Roethlisberger's Super Bowl-clinching march just business as usual

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February 3

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"As he stood at a podium after one of the most frenetic and fabulous finishes for a franchise rife with spectacular moments, Ben Roethlisberger held on to a football as he recounted the final dizzying moments of Super Bowl XLIII. It was the same football he used to take a knee on the final play of the game. "I gave the ball in the last game to Jerome [Bettis]," Roethlisberger said, referring to the Super Bowl XL victory in Detroit, Bettis' hometown. "I think I'll keep this one." How appropriate. Especially since the Steelers gave the ball to Roethlisberger in the final 2Â 1/2 minutes and entrusted him with winning the game, a scenario that had played out successfully on five previous ..."

Harrison crushed the Cardinals with the greatest play in Super Bowl history

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February 3

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

columnist Ron Cook

"It was admirable that Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes so graciously said yesterday that he would have been thrilled to share the Super Bowl XLIII MVP award with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. But it did prompt a question: Where was the love for linebacker James Harrison? Now there's an MVP if there ever was one. How can the guy who made the greatest play in Super Bowl history not be the MVP after his team wins? Harrison's big mistake in the Steelers' surreal 27-23 win against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night -- before his unconscionable meltdown in the final few minutes, that is -- was that he made the game's most significant play a little too early. His interception and 100-yard ..."

Holmes' catch could be the most Super

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February 2

Newsday

"David Tyree made a Super Bowl catch last season that most felt would never be bettered. Santonio Holmes came close last night. Not bad for a receiver whose most memorable plays this season came as a punt returner. Showing incredible deftness, the third-year receiver from Ohio State dragged both toes in the right corner of the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left that proved the game-winner in Super Bowl XLIII. Holmes caught nine passes for 131 yards - his first 100-yard game of the season - and a touchdown to earn game MVP honors. Holmes' teammate, Hines Ward, was the last receiver to win Super Bowl MVP, doing so three years ago when the Steelers ..."

Bringing in Holmes with 'The Drive'

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February 2

Beaver County Times

"He infamously came back from the near-dead a few years ago. And now, after coming back from the near-dead in Super Bowl XLIII, Ben Roethlisberger will forever be known as the Comeback Kid. Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 78 yards in two minutes on a game-winning drive punctuated by a brilliant 6-yard touchdown catch in the back right corner of the end zone by a triple-covered Santonio Holmes. Holmes went up over safety Aaron Francisco to grab the second-down pass from Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left and give the Steelers a 27-23 and their sixth Vince Lombardi trophy. Commissioner Roger Goodell, in handing the trophy to Dan Rooney, compared the game to last year's in terms of ..."

Steelers' Holmes grabs MVP honors, big receptions

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February 2

Orange County Register

"He kept getting these text messages, all through the week, from all around the country, predicting a Cadillac in his future. Santonio Holmes, father of three, Pittsburgh wide receiver, was going to be the MVP of the 43rd Super Bowl. This is not something you plan. "Besides, James Harrison returned that interception," Holmes said later, referring to the linebacker's 100-yard run down the sideline for a game-rearranging touchdown at the end of the first half. "I figured that was it for my chances." But the Super Bowl is not what we thought it was. It is a 60-minute deal now. The days when Joe Montana used to design his ring at halftime are over. The game is finally superseding its ..."

Holmes wanted to be 'the guy'

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February 2

Kansas City Star

"There was Santonio Holmes, in the moment, and there's no counting how many times he had practiced this, no guessing how often he had dreamed this precise dream. The football came fast and high. His feet were close to the sidelines. The whole blessed country was watching. It was the Super Bowl. All he had to do was catch the ball. Of course, Holmes always believed he would catch the ball if he got the chance. Don't we all believe that? That's the beautiful thing about sports, the thing that brings us all closer. The players out there may be bigger, stronger, faster. But in the end, we all want to believe the same thing, right? We all want to believe that, in our own way, we would catch the ..."

Super Bowl MVP Holmes saves day in clutch

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February 2

Rocky Mountain News

"Only a few days earlier, Santonio Holmes had opened up candidly about his youthful days dealing drugs on a street corner in the hardscrabble town of Belle Glade, Fla., about 200 miles away from Raymond James Stadium. Holmes' stated reasoning for coming clean with the information, in his words, was to demonstrate on a national stage, to young people especially, that there is hope for the seemingly hopeless, and that things can change with focus and resolve. The Pittsburgh Steelers receiver and his teammates then went out and proved it Sunday with a thrilling 78-yard, game-winning drive. Holmes, tiptoeing for the touchdown, then wasn't using the NFL's biggest stage as a platform; rather, he ..."

Imperfect hero seizes the moment just in time

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February 2

Houston Chronicle

columnist Richard Justice

"Santonio Holmes grew up dirt poor in Central Florida, sold drugs as a teenager, admitted this week that his life hung in the balance for a few years. He chased rabbits, too. Chased them and caught them and sold them. Is there a screenplay in there someplace? “There isn’t really anything to do,” he said. “You’re either going to go to school and play football or stand on the corner selling drugs.” Holmes used the NFL’s biggest stage to tell his story this past week. He told it again and again, with humor and grace. He’s all of 24, a former first-round pick, a kid the Pittsburgh Steelers believe can be among the best at his position. “He can go where no receiver has ever gone,” quarterback ..."

Two big toes point Steelers to victory

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February 2

Miami Herald

columnist Greg Cote

"The dateline on this has got to be a mistake, right? This wasn't Tampa. This was a Pittsburgh Steelers home game in the Super Bowl on Sunday night. This was Heinz Field-South, in numbers, decibels, Terrible Towels -- in everything but Iron City beer on tap. All the scene lacked for authenticity was icy wind blowing in off the Allegheny River as silver confetti fell over a golden blizzard of towels after maybe the greatest game in the 43 years of this singularly American spectacle. So rarely in sports does a game live up to hype and stage. This one did. And then some. The Steelers won their record sixth Super Bowl championship in a 27-23 triumph over the underdog Arizona Cardinals, and they ..."

Belle Glade star saves the Steelers

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February 2

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

columnist Dave Hyde

"As the fourth quarter wore on, as the lead switched hands, as each surprising punch was met by a more surprising counterpunch, the Super Bowl in search of an ending and night in search of a hero settled on the most unlikeliest one of all. Santonio Holmes didn't have Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald's touchdowns this game. He doesn't have Kurt Warner's or Ben Roethlisberger's stars. But Holmes had the thrown football coming to him now, in the end zone, with all the money on the table. And it slipped through his hands, like running water. "I couldn't believe it," he said after this 27-23 Pittsburgh win Sunday. "That was an awful feeling." That was the prologue to the coming heroics. But ..."

With victory up for grabs, Holmes shines

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February 2

Boston Globe

columnist Bob Ryan

"When a team wins a championship, hyperbole is sure to follow. "The sky's the limit for that guy," gushed Ben Roethlisberger on the subject of a certain 5-foot-11-inch Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver. "He has a chance to go where no receiver has gone." We'll see about that, but what we can say with assurance is that in a Super Bowl of twists, turns, and even an unprecedented really big play, Santonio Holmes had the final say. Roethlisberger put it up there, Holmes went up high to get it, and for the second year in a row a Super Bowl was won with 35 seconds to go. The Pittsburgh Steelers were 27-23 victors over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium because of a ..."

Holmes steals spotlight with winning catch

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February 2

Arizona Republic

"It was three against one. And really, Santonio Holmes probably shouldn't have had a chance. But that's what happens in Super Bowls, isn't it? Somebody rises to the occasion. Somebody makes a play he normally would not make. Somebody becomes an international superstar. The stars were shining plenty bright Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium in Super Bowl XLIII, but when it was over, Holmes had stolen the show, thanks to his game-winning, 6-yard touchdown catch of a pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds remaining. Holmes' remarkable catch and overall production - he had a game-high nine receptions and 131 yards - earned him the game's Most Valuable Player Award. "I told him, 'Don't ..."

THE X's

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January 29

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"In a playful moment during Super Bowl media day at Raymond James Stadium, Cardinals rookie cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, came up behind teammate Ralph Brown, put his hands on Brown's shoulders and leapfrogged over the 5-foot-10 cornerback. He landed like a gymnast executing a perfect 10. Rodgers-Cromartie, the Cardinals' No. 1 draft pick, will attempt another difficult task in Super Bowl XLIII: Keep Santonio Holmes from making big plays. That might be harder than leapfrogging a teammate. "A born playmaker," Rodgers-Cromartie said of Holmes, who has been just that in the postseason. Holmes, pictured above left, has helped ignite his team in each of the playoff victories against ..."

Similarities fuel Ravens-Steelers rivalry

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January 16

Baltimore Sun

"It is a rivalry of similarity and proximity rather than difference and distance. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are midsized cities on the water that are separated by a four-hour drive and the Allegheny Mountains. Both reached heights of prosperity in the Industrial Age and watched too many jobs ebb away in the late 20th century. Both have pinned hopes for the future on service and research industries and on downtown redevelopment. And yes, both love pro football above any other sport. When the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers clash Sunday in their highest-stakes game ever, they will do so with a brotherly intensity. Ravens linebacker Bart Scott calls Sunday's game "an opportunity for one of our ..."

Steelers' Holmes steps in and steps up

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January 16

Baltimore Sun

"When the Steelers made their last successful Super Bowl run after the 2005 season, Antwaan Randle El - the multitalented wide receiver and special teams player - made a handful of key plays that propelled Pittsburgh through the postseason. But after throwing a touchdown pass in the Steelers' Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks, Randle El left for the Washington Redskins as a free agent during the offseason, and the Steelers immediately moved to fill the gap with first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes. Holmes, a speedy wide receiver like Randle El, doesn't have the passing ability of his predecessor, but he does provide similar explosiveness. Last week in the Steelers' 35-24 playoff ..."

Holmes' hearing postponed until Feb. 26

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November 24

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"A hearing for Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession has been postponed until Feb. 26, which will be after the NFL season concludes. Holmes originally was scheduled to appear in Municipal Court Monday. He was cited following a stop on Oct. 23 near the Mellon Arena when police found three marijuana-filled cigars in his sport utility vehicle. When officers detected the odor of marijuana, Holmes said he had been smoking the day before."

Steelers' Holmes speaks publicly for first time since arrest

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October 29

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Santonio Holmes said he would have made a difference in the outcome if he had played for the Steelers Sunday in their 21-14 loss to the New York Giants. "I know I would ... yes, but I wasn't there to help the team," Holmes said today, speaking publicly for the first time since his arrest for possessing a small amount of marijuana last Thursday. Coach Mike Tomlin deactivated Holmes, the team's starting split end and second-leading receiver, for the game against the Giants the day after his arrest. Nate Washington replaced him and caught one pass, for a 65-yard touchdown, but it also forced the Steelers to use two inexperienced receivers, rookie Limas Sweed and second-year player Dallas ..."

Santonio Holmes apologizes for his arrest on marijuana

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October 28

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes apologized via a released statement for his arrest on marijuana possession last Thursday. Holmes did not play in the Steelers' 21-14 loss to the Giants Sunday; the team had told him to stay home for the game. Holmes, who is second on the team in receptions (22) and receiving yards (360), met with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin this morning at the team's South Side practice facility. "I would like to apologize to my teammates, the Steelers' organization, my family and the fans for my actions that caused me to miss Sunday's game," Holmes said in a statement. "I recognize that I made a mistake and understand the significance of my actions and I will not make ..."

Holmes' absence hurts

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October 27

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

columnist John Harris

"Let's be frank. The gamble backfired. There are no points given for moral victories. The Steelers lost a football game they needed to win Sunday, 21-14, to the New York Giants at Heinz Field. No amount of spin-doctoring is going to alter that harsh reality. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin took one for the team. It couldn't have been an easy decision to make. Tomlin made the tough call to deactivate starting receiver Santonio Holmes because of Holmes' off-field stupidity. Pin this loss on Tomlin, because the buck stops with him. Nobody cares if you did the right thing when you lose. "You know our feelings. The 11 on the field represent us and the standard of expectation doesn't change," Tomlin ..."

Steelers' Santonio Holmes sidelined by marijuana charge

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October 25

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes, who has been dogged by a variety of legal troubles in recent years, will not play in tomorrow's home game against the New York Giants because of his latest scrape with the law. Pittsburgh police on Thursday afternoon pulled over Mr. Holmes' sport utility vehicle near Mellon Arena and found three marijuana-filled cigars. Mr. Holmes told the officers that he had smoked marijuana in the vehicle the day before, according to a police affidavit. Officers charged Mr. Holmes, 24, of Ohio Township, with a misdemeanor count of prohibited acts, in this case having a small amount of marijuana. Mr. Holmes did not seem impaired, so officers let him go. They are ..."

Steelers' Holmes, facing drug charge, won't play Sunday

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October 24

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes did not practice with the team today and will not play in Sunday's game against the New York Giants after police said they stopped him with marijuana yesterday. Coach Mike Tomlin said Holmes, a third-year receiver who is second on the team with 22 catches and 360 yards receiving, will be listed as inactive for the game. He declined to say if Holmes had been suspended by the team or docked one game's pay. "At this point we've chosen to name him as inactive," Tomlin said after practice. "His situation has created somewhat of a distraction and we want to minimize that as much as we can and remain focused on the task at hand." Tomlin met with Holmes earlier ..."

Steelers' Holmes arrested on drug charges

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October 24

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes was arrested yesterday afternoon and will face marijuana possession charges, according to Night Court. Holmes, the Steelers' first-round pick in the 2006 draft, was arrested yesterday afternoon by Pittsburgh police, and will receive a court summons charging him with possession of a small amount of the drug. The details of his arrest were not immediately available. In June 2006, Holmes was arrested in Ohio on domestic violence charges, which were later dismissed. The charges stemmed from an incident involving LaShae Boone of Columbus, the mother of one of his three children. The charges were dismissed after the judge in the case was assured by Holmes' ..."

Ready for a breakout? Steelers' Holmes still long on potential

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August 26

USA Today

"Big plans fuel the lifeblood of training camps, which somewhat explains the buzz humming about the Pittsburgh Steelers' dreadlock-wearing No. 10."Santonio! Santonio!" the kids screamed after a recent practice, relentless in a quest for autographs. "Santonio, please!" Santonio Holmes, the third-year receiver and former first-round pick, has used big plays as his signature in becoming a summer star. That he's poised for a bigger role - not only on offense, but as a situational punt returner - is no secret. No wonder the autograph-seekers are so passionate. Also apparent is that Holmes' designs for a breakout year start from the ground up. "Sixteen games, that's all I'm worried about," ..."