RSS | 
Twitter
| 
Be a fan!
Holmes eyes big season
PITTSBURGH - Santonio Holmes was a guest on the Tonight Show and attended star-studded events in the months after winning Super Bowl MVP honors following his game-winning touchdown reception against the Arizona Cardinals in February.
Now, the 25-year-old Holmes has one more event he'd like to attend - a Pro Bowl.
Rate This Story:
1 the lowest - 5 the highest
Current rating:
That's right, not even at Ohio State, where Holmes was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in his final season.
"I think that one still kind of eats me up inside," Holmes said Monday as the Steelers prepared to open the 2009 season Thursday at Heinz Field against the Tennessee Titans.
"That touches me more than having the touchdowns, having the catches, just doing that one time in my career. Whenever it happens, I'm going to be excited and push for more."
Regardless of his statistics, Holmes enters the 2009 season with a little more attention from opponents, the fans and media.
That's what happens when you make one of the greatest game-winning touchdown receptions in NFL playoff history to go with a nine catches for 131 yards in the Super Bowl.
"Everywhere I go, even on MySpace, I get, 'Man, that was a great catch. That was a great game.' It's been a big part of my life ever since that happened," Holmes said.
"That's going to be a tag for the rest of my life. When I'm dead and gone, guys are going to remember that Super Bowl catch that helped the Steelers win their sixth title. That's definitely a great legacy to leave behind, but I still have a long way to go to finish off the rest of my career."
The first three years of Holmes' career have been filled with ups and downs.
Holmes was arrested twice following his selection in the first round of the 2006 draft - once for domestic abuse, the other for disorderly conduct - and again last season after he was pulled over in a traffic stop and marijuana was found in his vehicle. Charges in all three cases were eventually dropped, but Holmes saw his image take a hit.
Now, instead of those arrests, he's known for something different.
"It's been a lot of fun, a lot of issues, good and bad," said Holmes of how the Super Bowl changed things for him.
"I'm getting more of an opportunity to spend time with my family. It's been a lot of fun because those guys have been able to experience what I've been going through."
Holmes hopes that experience includes a better year than he had in 2008. Even though he set career highs with 55 receptions, he saw his touchdown total fall from eight to five, while his yards dropped from 942 to 821.
"The kid just works his tail off," said fellow wide receiver Hines Ward. "I know he wanted to have a big year. But I told him, you're only as good as your opportunities. Don't really look at your stats. I'm not really big on stats. Stats are really for fantasy football players."
They are words Holmes has taken to heart.
"Hines has reiterated that to me tons and tons of times throughout my four years here. 'Don't go out expecting the big numbers. Just go out, play hard and have fun, take it for what it's worth,'" Holmes said. "I've been in systems like that before in high school and college, only averaging about 30, 35 catches a season and still putting up good numbers. I'm not really comparing myself to the 100-catch guys with 1,500 yards. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I won't be mad at myself."
Odds and end zones
Linebacker Lawrence Timmons was walking without a boot on his injured ankle but did not practice Monday. ... The Steelers signed defensive back Tuff Harris to their practice squad. Harris, a third-year player, spent 2007 with Miami and 2008 with Tennessee.
