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Damn. Still, if he does...he had a good run and has used his earnings to help a lot of people.
Damn. Still, if he does...he had a good run and has used his earnings to help a lot of people.
From a fantasy football standpoint:
Damn.
From a fan of his since the HS days:
& .
When I heard this last night, I got a bit wistful. I have been beating the bushes trying to find friends who might be able to give some direct insight into what's going on, though I'd be surprised if anyone but Priest, his immediate family, and his doctors really know.
Priest is a smart guy who knows that football is a means to an end. He's going to have tremendous opportunities in TV and/or radio when his career does end, whether now or later, and I think he understands that. I know that he pushed to renegotiate a couple of years ago specifically to address this eventuality -- he was grossly underpaid (as the Chiefs agreed) and sought to renegotiate to basically get a large signing bonus, which would set him up financially for the rest of his life. He's gotten from the professional game what he needed and everything else is gravy and love of the game. On the field, he's as ferocious a compe or as you'll ever meet; but off the field, he keeps things in their proper context. That's why he's rightfully seen as such a great guy.
I think people who are late to this game forget just what crap this guy has dealt with to be where he is today -- he is where he is entirely on his own merits and based solely on his hard work. That dude has been counted out at just about every step along the way. I'm going to ramble a bit, but only because it strikes me as a story worth telling. Ignore if you wish.
He was hardly recruited entering his senior season in high school, because he was perceived as being too small, though he had consecutive 1,000 yard seasons while sharing carries with 2 other backs. When he got the chance to tote the mail on his own, in his senior season, he showed what he could do, running for 2,000 yards in 10+ games and single-handedly keeping Marshall in a state championship game against a powerful Odessa Permian team.
John Mackovic liked what he saw and brought Priest to UT, but after a couple of pretty nice seasons, Mackovic fell in love with Ricky Williams and Shon Mitc , and relegated Priest to spot duty. Priest repaid Mackovic by never saying anything cross, continuing to work, getting bigger, stronger, and quicker. Eventually, he got his chance and made the most of it, turning in the biggest performance of his Texas career in the most important game Mackovic ever coached -- the first Big XII championship game in St. Louis. He did so when Mackovic's darlings couldn't get it done against Nebraska. Everyone remembers the 4th down pass by James Brown, but the 4th down pass wouldn't have even been possible if Priest hadn't stepped up to the plate with a gigantic game.
He wasn't drafted, of course, but didn't give up and signed as an undersized free agent with the Ravens. After barely playing in 1997, he went to Ravens camp agreeable to doing anything to get on the field. I'll never forget seeing him returning a kickoff on opening day of the 1998 season and thinking "I've never seen him run back a kick before." As that season progressed, Priest got few carries (7 carries for 26 yards), but as a progression of overpriced/underperforming backs got hurt (Errict Rhett, Jay Graham, and Roosevelt Potts to name three), the Ravens ran short on backs. On a Sunday night against Cincinnati, Ted Marchibroda had no other options and gave the ball to Priest. Again, Priest repaid him with a 27-173 and 2 TD's on national TV. Even with that, Priest was seen as a role player and didn't get consistent carries during that season. He busted loose for 100 several times, including a 227 yard game against Cincinnati, but a few weeks later, he was back to around 10 carries a game. Despite topping 1000 yards in 1998, he was relegated to a backup role again in 1999 (behind Errict Rhett). The following year, the Ravens drafted Jamal Lewis and Priest was cemented as a backup, even after putting up 100 yards in the season opener in Pittsburgh. He played a role throughout the year as the Ravens won the Super Bowl.
He was a free agent after the Super Bowl and got some interest, but wasn't seen by many as a difference maker type. He was mostly seen as a third down specialist who could supplement but not start and dominate. Only Vermeil thought differently, seeing Priest as a guy who could put up Marshall Faulk-type numbers in a St. Louis Rams-type offense. Vermeil believed and it paid off, as Priest ripped off 3 consecutive amazing seasons, rushing for 1500, 1600, and 1400 yards, amassing 2000+ yards from scrimmage in each season. During that run, he had 3 of the top 30 seasons in history in terms of yards from scrimmage and 2 of the top 5 seasons in NFL history in terms of rushing touchdowns. The kid who was supposed to be a role player had become the most dominant offensive force in the game during that span.
Today, he's in the top 30 all-time in rushing yards; he's in the top 40 all-time in yards from scrimmage; and he's in the top 10 all-time in rushing touchdowns. All of that, despite the fact that some thought he wouldn't ever be able to play major college football, and were sure he'd never make it in the NFL, and were absolutely certain that he couldn't be a star. I'm glad he proved them all wrong.
. . . and now it appears that it's not actually over.
Well said.
Priest, you're always going to be loved in San Antonio...especially by a guy who briefly interviewed you for KENS-TV during an internship.
I hope whatever he does with his future, it turns out successful for him. He's nothing but class.
Chiefs play waiting game
Team has no news on running back
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
The day started with Vermeil at Starbucks, ordering the 6:30 a.m. usual — two-thirds decaf, one-third coffee. He should have gone for the caffeine.
At 10 p.m. Tuesday, Vermeil was still in his office, answering the phone by the second ring, waiting for word on Priest Holmes.
The future of the Chiefs’ Pro Bowl running back was the buzz of Kansas City on Tuesday, and Holmes was supposed to be back from a trip to see a Miami doctor by 7:30 p.m. By bedtime, the Chiefs were still waiting to hear whether Holmes would play this weekend, this season or ever again after a mystery injury knocked him out of the San Diego game on Oct. 30.
“You know as much as I do,” Vermeil said. “I don’t have any information. In fact, sometimes I get upset that I don’t have more information.”
The Star reported Sunday that Holmes was seeing a spine specialist and could be out for an extended period. What followed were two days of speculation on Holmes’ future and another trip to seek a third opinion, this time from a doctor in Miami.
Holmes was injured in a helmet-to-helmet collision in San Diego, but his medical issues aren’t as simple as a concussion. Vermeil said Holmes is also suffering from the aftereffects of a shoulder injury from the Oakland game in September.
So Holmes took a trip to Los Angeles late last week to see Robert Watkins, a physician who is renowned for treating serious back, neck and spinal injuries. Vermeil declined to say whether that examination had raised more concerns about his running back’s health.
President and general manager Carl Peterson was equally mum on whom Holmes was seeing in Miami, or whether he was worried that Holmes, who was knocked out of two of the last three seasons because of injuries, might be out for the year again.
“I’m going to wait on the doctors,” Peterson said. “I’m not a doctor, so I don’t speculate on those things.
“Priest’s history … everybody knows that he’s had some injuries. But he’s a very compe ive, extremely talented back. And we don’t rush to any judgments. We don’t make any snap decisions. We try to evaluate everything.”
Holmes’ medical issues — not to mention Holmes himself — have often been shrouded in secrecy. When fans awaited his status after a knee injury last year, a cryptic message appeared on his Web site indicating he may be out for the year. He was, missing the final eight games.
Holmes is the Chiefs’ career rushing leader despite battling injuries to his knee and hip. He turned 32 last month, and he has strongly suggested that he doesn’t plan on playing much longer. In an interview with The Star earlier this season, Holmes waxed philosophical about his career’s end and the time when he would pass the torch to backup Larry Johnson.
“We all wanted Emmitt Smith to continue to play, not to retire,” he said in September. “But I think in football there comes a time where this is a game for young people. And I’m not one to shy away from that. You know, I’ve done everything I could while I was here. The only thing left is winning a Super Bowl.”
Holmes was the team’s leading rusher before he went down in San Diego. Johnson, who had made no bones about the fact that wanted more playing time, ran for 107 yards in Holmes’ absence last weekend and scored the game-winning touchdown as time expired.
Peterson came under fire in 2003 when he drafted Johnson in the first round, and he pointed out Tuesday that it wasn’t such a bad move.
“At that time, Priest was just coming off surgery on that hip,” Peterson said. “And there were some people who speculated at the time … that he was gone forever.”
On Tuesday, the waiting seemed to take forever at Arrowhead. Vermeil wasn’t ready to say that Johnson was the starter for the rest of the season, let alone for Sunday.
“First, I’m hoping that doesn’t happen,” Vermeil said. “We all know how talented (Johnson) is. But we need two good running backs.”
As a Chiefs fan and a Marshall H.S. graduate this saddens me.
But if there really is an issue with his spine, I pray he retires. I would be more upset to see him become paralyzed when it could be prevented.
<insert Derrick Thomas comment here>
NOT RETIRING
Subsription Required.
Chiefs spokesman: Holmes is not retiring
By ELIZABETH MERRILL The Kansas City Star
As speculation continued to swirl about Priest Holmes’ future, the Chiefs said Wednesday that their career rushing leader has no plans to leave football because of a mystery injury that has taken him to three doctors.
“I would say this — Priest Holmes is not retiring,” Bob Moore, a team spokesman, said Wednesday morning. “That I do know.”
Moore said there was no news conference planned on Holmes’ status. The Star reported Sunday that Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowl running back, was seeing a spine specialist and could be sidelined for an extended period of time. On Tuesday, Holmes was in Miami to see another doctor, prompting speculation in Kansas City that the 32-year-old may end his football career.
Holmes has suffered two neurological injuries this season — he was involved in a helmet-to-helmet collision Oct. 30 at San Diego and suffered a shoulder injury in September at Oakland.
Coach Vermeil waited until the late hours Tuesday night to hear word on Holmes’ status. Moore declined to comment early Wednesday on whether the Chiefs had spoken to Holmes.
The Chiefs were scheduled to practice Wednesday afternoon.
ESPN says Holmes Out for Season
Source: Chiefs star Holmes likely out for season
Running back Priest Holmes, 32, is likely to miss the rest of the season, a source close to the situation told ESPN.com's John Clayton.
Holmes will continue to undergo tests on his neck and shoulder, but the source said his injuries are not believed to be career-ending.
Chiefs spokesman Pete Moris on Wednesday denied a Kansas City television report that Holmes had possibly played his last game for the Chiefs and could announce his retirement as soon as Thursday.
Holmes did not play last Sunday in the Chiefs' second game this season with Oakland, and Chiefs coach Vermeil said Tuesday that Holmes was undergoing a battery of tests to make sure he's neurologically sound after Holmes suffered a concussion two Sundays ago against San Diego. Holmes also is suffering from the aftereffects of a shoulder injury from the first Oakland game in September.
Vermeil will address Holmes' status following Wednesday's practice and give some details in that press conference. Holmes is not retiring but his chances of returning this season are unlikely because it may take a month or so to figure out what is wrong.
Holmes has rushed for 451 yards on 119 carries and scored six touchdowns this season. Larry Johnson will finish the season as the starter. The former first-round choice leads the team with 506 yards on 97 carries and has scored six TDs.
Love Holmes, but actually let him go in my keeper league this year. He has either been out, or ineffective late in the year, which is FF league playoff time. It's too bad they couldn't have found someone to share his carries a few years earlier.
Sucks for Holmes...
If I were him I would retire. There's so much more to life other than football, and if he could possibly be paralyzed, that would limit the rest of his life. He's played enough football.
It's time to hang it up Priest.
Actually Priest was considering retiring soon. Like in year or 2.
this is so lame
2 years ago, former longhorns dominated the running back scene
now they're both big fat jokes
Priest was the man there for a minute. When he was at his best, he mixed power and speed with the best. I hope everything turns out well for him.
How does this make Priest a big fat joke?
Priest dominated everyone in 03.
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