Jesse Holley facts for kids
Holley in the 2009 preseason
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| No. 16 | |||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | January 8, 1984 Roselle, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 213 lb (97 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Abraham Clark (Roselle, New Jersey) |
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| College: | North Carolina | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2007 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Jesse Holley, born on January 8, 1984, is a former American football player. He used to play as a wide receiver. The Cincinnati Bengals signed him in 2007, even though he wasn't chosen in the main draft. He played both football and basketball for the University of North Carolina in college. In 2009, he won a TV reality show called 4th and Long.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Jesse Holley grew up in Roselle, New Jersey. He went to Abraham Clark High School. There, he was a star athlete in both football and basketball.
Football Achievements
In high school football, Jesse became the best receiver in his school's history. He caught 106 passes for 1,449 yards. He also scored 27 touchdowns. He even played quarterback in five games. Many sports websites and magazines ranked him among the top 20 receivers in the country.
Basketball Success
Jesse was also amazing at basketball. He scored about 20 points per game. He broke his school's record for career basketball scoring.
College Career at North Carolina
Jesse Holley went to the University of North Carolina. He played both basketball and football for the Tar Heels.
Basketball Championship
He was part of the 2004–05 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team. This team won the National Championship in 2005. Jesse was a backup guard and scored 11 points in 15 games during his freshman year. He scored 13 points in 10 games during his last basketball season.
Football Highlights
As a freshman in football, Jesse played in all 12 games. He caught 12 passes for 168 yards and scored two touchdowns. In his second year, he became a starting receiver. He had 30 catches for 456 yards and two touchdowns. He made a game-winning 45-yard touchdown catch with only 36 seconds left against Wake Forest University.
In his junior year, Jesse led his team with 47 catches for 670 yards and one touchdown. He was one of the top receivers in the league. As a senior, he had 37 catches for 466 yards and two touchdowns. He finished his college career with 126 catches and 1,760 receiving yards.
Professional Football Journey
After college, Jesse Holley tried to make it in professional football.
Cincinnati Bengals and BC Lions
The Cincinnati Bengals signed Jesse in 2007. He played in preseason games but was later released. He then joined the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League in 2008, but he was released after their first preseason game.
Winning 4th and Long
Before joining the Dallas Cowboys, Jesse was working as a security guard and selling cell phones. He decided to try out for a reality TV show called 4th and Long. This show was hosted by famous football player Michael Irvin. Jesse won the show, which gave him a chance to attend the Dallas Cowboys' training camp.
Dallas Cowboys Career
Jesse officially signed with the Cowboys in July 2009. He showed his skills by returning a punt 82 yards for a touchdown in a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. He spent most of 2009 on the Cowboys' practice squad.
In 2010, Jesse was promoted to the main team. He played mostly on special teams, which are plays like kickoffs and punts. He made 16 tackles on special teams that season.
In the 2011 season, Jesse made the 53-man roster as the fifth receiver. In a game against the San Francisco 49ers, he stepped up when other players were injured. He made his first official NFL catch for 11 yards. Later in overtime, he made a huge 77-yard catch that led to the game-winning field goal. For the 2011 season, he had 7 catches for 169 yards. He was not re-signed after the season due to a knee injury.
New England Patriots
Jesse signed with the New England Patriots in June 2012. However, he was released in September. He then decided to retire from professional football to focus on recovering from his knee injury.
Life After Football
After retiring, Jesse Holley stayed involved with football.
Media Career
In 2013, Jesse joined KRLD-FM radio station. He became part of the Dallas Cowboys pre-game and post-game shows. He also helps host other shows and podcasts at the station. In 2023, Jesse started his own podcast called "Unfiltered With Jesse Holley." This podcast covers the Dallas Cowboys and other NFL topics.
Family Connections
Jesse is the younger brother of Jamel Holley. Jamel used to be the mayor of Roselle, New Jersey. He is now a New Jersey Assemblyman.
