OHIO STATE FOOTBALL
Smarts, savvy put Holmes at head of receivers’ class
Friday, September 23, 2005
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
NEAL C . LAURON | DISPATCH
‘‘My main focus when I’m running down the field is to never put my hands up to let the DB know that the ball is coming. And I never want to be gazing at the ball with the big eyes. I want to stay relaxed."
If Ohio State receiver Santonio Holmes decides to do a book about the fine art of receiving, he should consider using Anthony Gonzalez as the author.
It wouldn’t even have to be an "as told to" effort. Gonzalez, also an OSU receiver, has been taking mental notes on his teammate’s game for several years. He already has a preface.
"I have said for quite some time I think Santonio is the best receiver in the country," Gonzalez said. "Maybe it’s just because of the attention that’s going to Ted (Ginn Jr.), everybody is starting to realize that as well. When (Holmes) makes great plays, it is no surprise to me whatsoever, because I know what kind of talent he is and what kind of person he is."
So what sets Holmes apart?
"A lot of it might be instinct," Gonzalez said. "I have to study guys like him and make sure I can pick up his little nuances and things he does to create that little bit of separation that maybe your average receiver can’t do."
Holmes is the first to admit he was blessed with above-average athletic ability. But what usually separates the exceptional from the good, as Gonzalez pointed out, is the ability to gain, well, separation.
Indeed, a knack for creating space is treasured in any sport in which a ball or puck is involved. Early on, it can be achieved by just turning on the jets. But higher up the career ladder, the opposition improves, or in a receiver’s case, the coverage gets tighter.
Now what? That was a question Ray McDonald posed to Holmes years ago back in their hometown of Belle Glade, Fla. McDonald, who had played receiver at Florida, took Holmes under his wing.
"He taught me a lot of stuff that I needed to know about playing the game and getting open," Holmes said. "I didn’t just listen to what he had to say. I took the initiative to get out on the field and do everything he taught me."
Such as accelerating to a thrown ball in Terry Glenn fashion. Ohio State fans saw it in a seasonopening win over Miami University and on his touchdown catch in a loss to Texas.
"That is something I pride myself on, knowing that when the ball is in the air, I have control," Holmes said.
That burst is powered more by guile than adrenaline. A one-step head start on the defensive back makes the difference.
"My main focus when I’m running down the field is to never put my hands up to let the DB know that the ball is coming," Holmes said. "And I never want to be gazing at the ball with the big eyes. I want to stay relaxed.
"If you keep that same composure, the DB is going to think, ‘All right, he’s just running deep. They’re not throwing him the ball.’ Then at the last second you show your hands and make the big play."
Gonzalez already could write a couple of chapters on such stuff.
"He’s an extremely intelligent football player," he said of Holmes. "I think that is overlooked a lot. In my opinion, he is one of the smartest players out there. He is always aware of everything."
Then Holmes piles guile on top of proper technique.
"He is an exceptional route runner, he has great hands, and he always seems to make plays," Gonzalez said. "You watch him and you think, ‘Man, it looks so easy when he does it. Why can’t everybody do that?’ He just has a knack for making plays."
Which raises the question of why Holmes doesn’t have more than 13 catches in an OSU offense that has been inconsistent through its first three games. But as Holmes pointed out, the Buckeyes have spread the ball around, with Roy Hall getting 11 catches and Ginn and Gonzalez 10 each.
In the game of creating space, it helps to have other receivers involved. Not that Holmes wants the defense to be able to dictate whether he gets his chances, anyway.
"A lot of teams are probably going to doubleteam me a lot, but who cares?" Holmes said. "If we go in with a game plan that says they’ve got to call my number 15 times, at least 10 of those I’ve got to turn into catches and big plays.
"I don’t care what the defense is doing. I just want to get out there and make something happen."
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