Santonio Holmes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Santonio Holmes

Holmes in 2019
No. 10, 14
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1984-03-03) March 3, 1984 (age 41) Belle Glade, Florida, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	192 lb (87 kg)
Career information
High school:	Glades Central (Belle Glade, Florida)
College:	Ohio State (2002–2005)
NFL Draft:	2006 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25
Career history
Pittsburgh Steelers (2006–2009) New York Jets (2010–2013) Chicago Bears (2014)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLIII) Super Bowl MVP (XLIII) BCS national champion (2002) First-team All-Big Ten (2005) Second-team All-Big Ten (2004)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 389 Receiving yards: 6,030 Receiving touchdowns: 36
Player stats at PFR

Santonio Holmes Jr. (born March 3, 1984) is a former American football player. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). The Pittsburgh Steelers picked him in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. Before that, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. In 2009, Holmes was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Super Bowl XLIII. His team, the Steelers, won against the Arizona Cardinals. In 2010, Holmes was traded to the New York Jets. He also played one season for the Chicago Bears.

Early Life and Sports

Santonio Holmes went to Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida. He was a top athlete in football, basketball, and track.

High School Football Success

In football, he helped his team win two state championships. In his senior year, they had an amazing record of 12 wins and only 1 loss.

Basketball and Track Achievements

For basketball, his team finished as state runner-up in his senior year. In track, his team won the state title when he was a junior. He was also part of a relay team that won two state titles. Santonio graduated from high school in 2002 with a good academic record.

College Football Journey

Holmes went to The Ohio State University. He was a "redshirt" player in 2002, meaning he practiced but didn't play in games. That year, the Buckeyes won the National Championship.

Impressive College Statistics

During his college career, Holmes caught 140 passes for 2,295 yards. He also scored 25 touchdowns. He gained a total of 3,123 all-purpose yards. At the time, his 140 catches and 3,496 yards were among the top five in school history. His 25 touchdown catches ranked him third in the NCAA.

Professional Football Career

Santonio Holmes decided to leave college a year early to join the NFL.

Joining the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Holmes in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He was the 25th player chosen overall. The Steelers traded up to get him. Holmes wore number 10 for the Steelers.

2006 Season Highlights

At first, Holmes faced some criticism for his play on special teams. However, he soon showed his talent as a receiver. He was named the "Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week" in Week 6. This was for his great performance against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Santonio Holmes with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.

Later in the season, Holmes became a starter. He finished his rookie year with 49 catches for 824 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the last game of the season, he caught a 67-yard touchdown pass. This play helped the Steelers win against the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime. He also returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown.

2007 Breakout Year

In 2007, Holmes became the Steelers' main starting receiver. He had a fantastic season, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns. He became known as a player who could make big plays down the field.

• In Week 1, he caught a 40-yard touchdown pass against the Cleveland Browns.
• In Week 4, he had 6 catches for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals.
• He had another two-touchdown game in Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Holmes finished 2007 with 942 receiving yards and 8 touchdown catches. He led the entire league in yards per catch. In his first playoff game, he scored a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

2008 Super Bowl Champion

Holmes worked hard in the offseason, gaining weight to be stronger. He aimed to play in all 16 games. His production in regular season statistics was a bit lower than in 2007. However, he still made many important plays.

The biggest moment came in Super Bowl XLIII. Holmes made an incredible 6-yard touchdown catch with only 35 seconds left. This play secured the Steelers' sixth Super Bowl win. He caught nine passes for 131 yards in that game. He was named the Super Bowl MVP, becoming one of only a few wide receivers to win this award.

2009 Best Statistical Season

The 2009 season was Holmes' best in terms of statistics. He had 79 catches and 1,248 receiving yards. He also scored five touchdowns. He became the main target for the Pittsburgh offense. This was surprisingly his last year with the team.

Moving to the New York Jets

On April 11, 2010, Holmes was traded to the New York Jets. The Steelers received a fifth-round draft pick in return.

2010 Season with the Jets

Holmes was not allowed to play in the first few games of the season. However, he could still attend team meetings and work out.

• On November 14, 2010, Holmes caught a game-winning touchdown pass in overtime against the Cleveland Browns. This gave the Jets a 26–20 victory.
• The very next week, he caught another game-winning touchdown with only 10 seconds left. This helped the Jets beat the Houston Texans 30–27.

The Jets made it to the AFC Championship Game in the 2010-2011 postseason. They lost to Holmes' former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2011 Season and Captaincy

Holmes signed a new 5-year deal with the Jets before the 2011 season. He was named one of the team captains. In the final game of the season, he had a disagreement on the field. As a result, he was benched for the rest of the game. The Jets lost and missed the playoffs.

Holmes finished the 2011 season with 51 catches and 654 receiving yards. These were some of the lowest totals of his career. However, he did score a career-high 8 touchdown receptions.

2012 and 2013 Seasons

In Week 4 of the 2012 season, Holmes suffered a serious foot injury. He was placed on injured reserve and missed the rest of the year.

In 2013, Holmes worked hard to recover from his foot surgery. He returned to the active roster in August. The Jets released him on March 10, 2014.

Short Time with the Chicago Bears

Holmes signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears on August 16, 2014. He played in nine games for the Bears, catching 8 passes for 67 yards. He was released by the team on November 11, 2014.

Retirement from Football

After being out of the league for almost three years, Santonio Holmes returned to the Steelers. On October 10, 2017, he had a retirement ceremony. He said it was an honor to retire as a member of the Steelers.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Postseason Stats

See also

In Spanish: Santonio Holmes para niños