Priest Holmes facts for kids
Holmes in 2011
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | October 7, 1973 Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 213 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school: | John Marshall (Leon Valley, Texas) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Texas (1992–1996) | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1997 | ||||||||||||
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Priest Anthony Holmes (born October 7, 1973) is a former American football player. He was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Priest Holmes started his career with the Baltimore Ravens. He became very successful after joining the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001.
During his seven years with the Chiefs, Holmes was chosen for the All-Pro team three times. He also played in the Pro Bowl three times. In 2002, he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Before joining the Chiefs, Holmes won a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens. This was in 2000, when they won Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants. He ran for over 2,000 yards in his four seasons with Baltimore. Holmes did not play in the 2006 season due to a neck injury. After trying to come back in 2007, he retired from the NFL.
Holmes played college football for the Texas Longhorns. He was honored in the University of Texas Hall of Honor in 2007. He also entered the Texas High School Sports Hall of Fame that same year. In 2014, he was inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.
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Early Life and Work Ethic
Priest Holmes was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He grew up in San Antonio, Texas. His mother, Norma, and stepfather, Herman Morris, raised him. His stepfather worked as an aircraft technician at Kelly Air Force Base for 20 years. This meant Priest grew up in a military family.
When he was 13, Holmes spent a summer in Detroit, Michigan. He worked for his grandfather's lawn care business. He worked 12 hours a day, six days a week, with much older men. This experience taught him a strong work ethic. This work ethic later helped him become a great football player.
Football Journey Through School
High School Football Success
Growing up, Holmes looked up to Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett. He developed his own unique running style playing street football. Holmes later went to John Marshall High School. There, he became a starter for his coach, David Visentine.
In his senior year, 1991, Holmes ran for an amazing 2,061 yards. He led his team to the state championship game. They finished as runner-up, losing to Odessa Permian.
College Career at Texas
Holmes attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1992 to 1996. He played for coach John Mackovic during this time. In his first year, he played in seven games. He ran for 114 yards against Houston. As a sophomore, he started two games and averaged over five yards per carry.
As a junior, Holmes got more playing time. He ran for 524 yards and five touchdowns. He was named MVP of the 1994 Sun Bowl. In that game, he ran for 161 yards and four touchdowns. Texas won against North Carolina. Holmes missed the 1995 season because of a knee injury. This allowed Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams to become the starter.
Even though he was third string in his final season, Holmes scored 13 touchdowns. He carried the ball only 59 times. His biggest moment came in the first ever Big 12 Championship Game. Texas, with a 7–4 record, faced third-ranked Nebraska. Texas upset Nebraska 37–27, with Holmes running for 120 yards and three touchdowns. In his last two seasons, Texas had a 16–9 record. They finished ranked in the top 25 each year. He ran for a total of 1,276 yards and 20 touchdowns in college. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry. During college, he started using his first name, Priest, instead of his middle name, Anthony.
Professional Football Career
Starting with the Baltimore Ravens
After college, Priest Holmes joined the Baltimore Ravens in 1997. He was an undrafted free agent, meaning no team picked him in the NFL draft. In his first year, he was the fourth-string running back. He played in seven games, mostly on special teams.
In 1998, Holmes competed for a starting spot. He became the third running back on the team. That season, he ran for over 1,000 yards, leading the team. He even had one game where he ran for over 200 yards. In 1999, he played in nine games and started four. He ran for 506 yards and one touchdown.
In 2000, a new rookie running back, Jamal Lewis, took over as the starter. The Ravens went on to win Super Bowl XXXV. Holmes was their second-string running back during this championship season.
Becoming a Star with the Kansas City Chiefs
In 2001, Holmes signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his first year with the Chiefs, he did much better than expected. He led the entire NFL in rushing yards with 1,555 yards. He was the first undrafted player to ever do this.
In the 2002 NFL season, Holmes missed the last two games due to a hip injury. Even so, he ran for 1,615 yards and scored 21 touchdowns. In the 2003 NFL season, he broke Marshall Faulk's NFL record for total touchdowns in a season with 27. This record was later broken by Shaun Alexander in 2005 and LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006. Holmes and Emmitt Smith are the only two running backs in NFL history to have two seasons in a row with 20 or more rushing touchdowns. In 2004, he was on track to do it again. However, an injury ended his season with 14 touchdowns.
Holmes's 2005 season was also cut short by an injury to his spinal column. This happened during a tackle by Shawne Merriman on October 30, 2005. His backup, Larry Johnson, took over for the rest of the season. The next year, new coach Herm Edwards made Johnson the starting running back. Holmes's neck injury did not heal by the end of the 2006 preseason. He was placed on the Chiefs' Physically Unable to Perform list for the season. Larry Johnson became the full-time starting running back.
During 2006, Holmes often said he wanted to play for two or three more seasons. But he also said he would not force a comeback if it was bad for his long-term health.
After good medical tests, Holmes went to the Chiefs' training camp in July 2007. However, the Chiefs did not put him on the main roster at the start of the season. They listed him on the non-football injury list. Later in the season, Holmes returned to the Kansas City roster. He started practicing on October 17, 2007. Four days later, Holmes completed his comeback. He played in the Chiefs' game against the Oakland Raiders, carrying the ball four times. He made his first start since October 30, 2005, against the San Diego Chargers. He also played in a home game on November 11, 2007, against the Denver Broncos. Holmes led the Chiefs with 20 rushes for 65 yards in that game.
Retirement from Football
Priest Holmes announced his retirement on November 21, 2007. He had re-injured his neck the previous Sunday, November 18. This happened during a game against the Indianapolis Colts.
His Legacy in Football
When Holmes retired, he was the Chiefs' all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns (76). He also led in total touchdowns (83) and career rushing yards (6,070). His rushing yards record has since been broken by Jamaal Charles.
The Chiefs team honored Holmes by putting him in the Chiefs Hall of Fame. This happened during the 2014 season. The ceremony took place on November 2 at halftime of a game against the New York Jets. As of 2023, Holmes has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame nine times. However, he has not yet become a semi-finalist.
Awards and Highlights
Priest Holmes achieved many great things in his NFL career:
- Super Bowl champion (XXXV)
- NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2002)
- 3× First-team All-Pro (2001–2003)
- 3× Pro Bowl (2001–2003)
- 2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2002, 2003)
- NFL rushing yards leader (2001)
- NFL scoring leader (2002)
- Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame inductee (2014)
Records Held
NFL Records
- Most yards from scrimmage per game in a single season: 163.4 yards (2,287 yards in 14 games) in 2002.
- Most games with 2 or more touchdowns in a season: 10 (2003). He shares this record with LaDainian Tomlinson.
- Most seasons with at least 20 rushing touchdowns: 2. He shares this record with Emmitt Smith.
Kansas City Chiefs Franchise Records
- Career rushing touchdowns (76)
- Career total touchdowns (83) (tied with Travis Kelce)
Priest Holmes Foundation
The Priest Holmes Foundation is an organization that helps children. It works to encourage education and improve the lives of kids in the community.
