WR Santonio Holmes (Super Bowl XLIII MVP)

[osugrad21]

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WR Holmes agrees to terms with Steelers

Associated Press
Posted: 16 minutes ago



PITTSBURGH (AP) - First-round draft pick Santonio Holmes reached terms Friday on a five-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a deal that apparently does not include added contract language protecting them against additional off-field problems.


Holmes, a former Ohio State star wide receiver, has been arrested twice since being the No. 25 pick in the April draft. He faces an Aug. 15 trial on an assault charge involving a woman in Columbus, Ohio, who is the mother of one of his three children. He also pleaded innocent to disorderly conduct charges brought Memorial Day weekend in Miami.
Despite Holmes' off-field problems, which clearly agitated Cowher and cast doubt on whether Holmes has the maturity and focus to be a productive NFL player, Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said the team is protected enough by the standard player's contract.
Holmes is aware that he faces sanctions by the NFL, including a possible suspension, should any more incidents occur, Colbert said.
"Our opinion of him hasn't changed," Colbert said. "We still feel good about the kid, and he has done all the right things since the incidents. He set himself back with a couple of incidents. ... Now, it's up to him to take the next step. We're comfortable he will take all of the necessary corrective steps on and off the field."
Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward said he worked out with Holmes all week in Pittsburgh before camp and doesn't believe the Steelers drafted a troubled player.
"I don't make much out of it. It doesn't bother me," Ward said of Holmes' two arrests. "He's here now, and we can't worry about what he did, only (about) his growth and maturity once he's around all the veteran guys who know what it takes. He's eager to learn and he's always asking questions."
The Steelers have talked frequently about Holmes' legal problems, Colbert said, and were pushing to get him into camp on time as a result.
"Whenever there is negative attention, however you get it, you always want to see something positive," Colbert said. "We wanted to make sure Santonio was here on time. He wants to be good, and he will have his opportunity here. It was important for him to be here, to not get off on the wrong foot."
Holmes has some catching up to do when the Steelers begin camp Saturday with their annual running tests.
He missed all of the post-draft coaching sessions, except for a three-day minicamp, because of an NFL-NCAA agreement that bars players from practicing with their new NFL teams until their college classes have graduated. Ohio State's class did not graduate until mid-June.
Asked what Holmes' biggest challenge will be in camp, Ward said, "Learning the plays. The coaches aren't going to put him in if he's not ready."
Holmes is expected to compete with Reid and veteran Cedrick Wilson to replace former starter Antwaan Randle El, who signed with the Redskins as a free agent.
"When you take a player in the first round, expectations are higher," Colbert said. "He's no different than anybody else."
The 5-foot-11, 189-pound Holmes was the first receiver drafted on the first round, after the Steelers traded up seven spots with the Giants to get him. Holmes made 140 catches for 2,295 yards, a 16.4 average and 25 touchdowns in three seasons at Ohio State.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Timely arrival
By Kevin Gorman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, July 29, 2006

Santonio Holmes wasn't among the Steelers who made grand entrances Friday at St. Vincent College. Instead, the wide receiver from Ohio State announced his arrival in a subtle manner that belied a tumultuous offseason for the Steelers' first-round draft choice.
Holmes simply delayed by nearly 45 minutes the training camp-opening news conference of Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert, who was finalizing details of a contract that brought Holmes to camp on time.
Colbert apologized for the hold-up, although Holmes is the one expected to offer a mea culpa today following arrests for disorderly conduct and domestic violence since the Steelers traded up to make him the 25th selection overall.


"Santonio was very proactive about making sure he was here," Colbert said. "He wants to do good. There was no question about that. He'll have his opportunities, and we'll see if he takes advantage of them. It was important for him to be here to start off on the right foot." Holmes agreed to a five-year deal valued at $8.11 million, including $4.52 million in bonus dollars. The finalization of the deal ran so late, Holmes wasn't available for comment because of a 7:30 p.m. meeting. He's expected to address reporters after today's 2 p.m. running drills.
Colbert said the club didn't include specific language regarding off-field conduct. Under the league's new collective bargaining agreement, though, standard NFL contracts contain behavior stipulations.
"It's not our intention to have anything like that," said Colbert, who added that Holmes is subject to review and possible suspension by the NFL.
"When we made the pick, we were comfortable with the player. There have been situations that have arisen. I don't want to talk about them because they're still legal matters, and those legal matters will play themselves out. He's done all the right things since the incidents."
The Steelers yesterday also signed third-round pick Willie Reid, a receiver-punt returner from Florida State, to a three-year contract worth $1.08 million that calls for salaries of $275,000 in the first year, $360,000 in the second and $445,000 in the third, with a signing bonus of $453,000.
"It's a little process we had to go through, but everything turned out well for both sides," Reid said. "That was the main thing. I was telling my agent I wanted to be there for the first day of everything."
Hines Ward welcomed the addition of Holmes and Reid to a receiving corps that lost Antwaan Randle El to free agency. Ward said he spent the past several days working out with Holmes, discussing what's expected of him.
"He's off to a fresh start," Ward said, noting that Holmes shaved his trademark dreadlocks. "He cut his hair off. He wants to have a clean slate. Nobody (told) him to do it. He just did it himself.
"We can't sit there and worry about the allegations or him going to court. My job is to try to be there, so he can lean on me, ask me questions to help his development, so he can help us win football games."
Not only did Reid sign first, but he also got a head start on Holmes by attending the organized team activities -- valuable sessions with the coaching staff -- in May and June. Holmes was prevented from doing that by NCAA restrictions -- his class hadn't yet graduated.
"He's got to put in some overtime, because he missed some of the coaching sessions," Ward said of Holmes. "But he's hungry. He's looking forward to the challenge. He's going to be a huge help to our passing game."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/30/06

Steelers' Holmes doesn't apologize

ALAN ROBINSON

Associated Press

LATROBE, Pa. - Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Santonio Holmes offered no apologies. No excuses, either. Holmes, arrested twice since being the first wide receiver selected during the NFL draft in April, doesn't think the incidents have affected his status with the Steelers or their fans and declined Saturday to say he was sorry.
"I haven't gotten any negative feedback from any fan I have seen around the city since I've been here, which is about a month and a half," Holmes said after completing the team's annual camp-opening run test. "So I don't think I have anything to say to those guys. They know what I can do on the field, what type of person I am on and off the field."
Holmes faces an Aug. 15 trial in Columbus, Ohio, for domestic violence, an incident that involves the mother of one of his three children. He also pleaded innocent to disorderly conduct charges filed in Miami in May.
Even if Holmes thinks differently, the two arrests troubled the Steelers, and director of football operations Kevin Colbert said the team will closely monitor his situation. Holmes faces possible discipline by the NFL if any more problems occur.
However, the Steelers did not feel it was necessary to include any extra language in Holmes' $8.11 million, five-year contract protecting them if he could not play as the result of any off-field problems. Colbert said the team felt the standard NFL player contract offers sufficient protection. Holmes' deal guarantees him $5.42 million.
"He set himself back with a couple of incidents. ... Now, it's up to him to take the next step," Colbert said. "We're comfortable he will take all the necessary corrective steps on and off the field."
Coach Bill Cowher said he will talk to Holmes about the player's troubled summer, but first wanted to see what Holmes said during his news conference Saturday.
Holmes also hasn't endeared himself to at least one Steelers player, and it's an important one - Ben Roethlisberger, the man who will throw Holmes' passes. The quarterback said he tried to call Holmes several times during the summer, but Holmes never returned his calls.
Asked Saturday if the two ever talked, Roethlisberger said, "Yeah, when he showed up yesterday (Friday) we said `Hi' to each other."
Holmes didn't seem to think there was a problem with the Super Bowl-winning quarterback, saying, "I didn't get any calls from him."
Less than a day since signing his contract, Holmes took part in the mandatory series of 14 40-yard sprints that each uninjured Steelers player must complete before the team begins practicing. Before reporting to camp Friday, Holmes spent the week working out with Hines Ward, the Steelers' Super Bowl MVP receiver.
"I wouldn't say it was a piece of cake. It was pretty tough, but I prepared myself well during the time I was in Pittsburgh, training on my own and then training with Hines," Holmes said.
Nine players skipped the runs because of medical concerns, the most of any recent Steelers camp. Among those not running were quarterback Charlie Batch, center Jeff Hartings, running back Duce Staley, nose tackle Casey Hampton, linebacker Joey Porter, right tackle Max Starks, defensive end Shaun Nua and tight end Walter Young.
Porter had knee surgery two months ago, and Cowher said he likely will begin camp on the physically unable to perform list.
Hampton, a Pro Bowl lineman whose listed weight is 325 pounds, had problems with the run test three years ago. On Saturday, he took part in several 100-yard runs that weren't part of the Steelers' prescribed running test and trailed badly in his group.
"Casey tweaked a hamstring last week running for the test," Cowher said. "I was surprised. He said he tweaked it, but I didn't know he could run fast enough to tweak it."

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Holmes not rattled by distractions
By Joe Rutter
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, July 30, 2006

Even though he has a court date Aug. 15 in Columbus, Ohio, Steelers first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes plans on being at St. Vincent College for practice that day. Holmes, a former Ohio State wide receiver who was arrested twice during the off-season, indicated Saturday that his legal problems are behind him. Yet, he remains scheduled to face trial next month on domestic violence charges against the mother of one of his three children.
The court date falls between the Steelers' first and second exhibition games.
"As far as I know, everything is set in stone," Holmes said in his first public comments since his June arrest. "I haven't had to report for anything. The things I reported in my statement after it happened, it's all set in stone. I don't have to report for anything. Everything is behind me."


A call to Holmes' attorney, Sam Shamansky, was not returned yesterday. The arrest in Columbus was the second for Holmes since the Super Bowl champion Steelers traded up seven spots to select him with the 25th overall pick. He also was cited for disorderly conduct on Memorial Day weekend in Miami Beach.
Because of those arrests, Holmes could be subject to sanctions from the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy.
"Things happen. I'm a young guy," said Holmes, 22. "I'm stepping into a great deal of things that are ahead of me. I'm just looking forward to having a great career. I have nothing to prove to anybody. I just have to get out there and show the organization I still want to play football. That's the only thing I'm here for."
Holmes said his teammates have been supportive, although he disputed Ben Roethlisberger's claim that Holmes didn't return any of the quarterback's phone calls following the arrests.
"I didn't get any calls from him," Holmes said.
Roethlisberger didn't get a chance to give his version because he spoke with the media a few hours before Holmes held his news conference. But when asked yesterday whether he had heard back from Holmes, Roethlisberger said, "Yeah, when we showed up yesterday. We said hi to each other."
Holmes also said he doesn't owe fans an apology for his off-field behavior.
"I haven't gotten any negative feedback from any fan I've seen around the city since I've been here the past month and a half," he said. "I don't think I have anything to say to those guys or to prove to them. They pretty much know what I can do on the field and what kind of person I am off it."
As proof, Holmes cited the charitable contributions he made at Ohio State.
"I was a redshirt freshman asking coach (Jim) Tressel if I could go visit Children's Hospital with the veteran guys," he said. "It was for the veterans, (but) I was always one of the guys who asked to visit the hospital, so I don't think I have anything to prove to the fans."
Holmes was the last Steelers rookie to come to contract terms, agreeing Friday night on a five-year, $8.11 million deal that includes $5.42 million in bonus dollars. After missing spring drills -- aside from minicamp -- because his classes at Ohio State hadn't ended, Holmes didn't want to be a training-camp holdout.
"Santonio had directed me to make sure he didn't miss a minute of training camp if at all possible," said Joel Segal, Holmes' agent.
Coach Bill Cowher was glad to see Holmes report on time.
"It's going to be important to get any young player, any new player, into a system because we have a veteran football team, we have a veteran staff," Cowher said. "The more comfortable you can become within that system, the faster you can play the game. It's good to have him here. Any rep he can get on the field will be to his benefit."
When Holmes worked out with wide receivers coach Bruce Arians in the third week of June, Arians characterized the rookie as being "light years" behind after missing the coaching sessions that followed minicamp. Holmes is listed as one of three fourth-string split ends behind starter Cedrick Wilson and veteran backups Quincy Morgan and Lee Mays.
"He doesn't have to play in the first game to save us," Arians said at the time. "He just has to come in and play at his own pace."
Holmes doesn't think the time he missed in spring sessions will be detrimental to his development.
"Not at all," he said. "I had opportunities to come in after I got out of school. Coaches were willing to help me learn some of my plays. Some of the players helped out also. I think I'm pretty much caught up with the majority of things they did in the coaching sessions."

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Cook: Steelers' top pick shows no remorse on arrests, says Big Ben didn't call

Sunday, July 30, 2006
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
This is how badly Santonio Holmes' welcome-to-Steelers-training-camp news conference went yesterday:
The kid essentially called Ben Roethlisberger a liar and it wasn't the worst part of the session.
The worst part was that Holmes showed absolutely no remorse for his two arrests in a three-week period late in the spring.
"I don't think I have anything to prove to anybody," he said, almost defiantly, his first public comments since the arrests. "People know what I can do on the field and they know the type of person I am off the field."
Actually, we don't.

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Santonio Holmes says his actions on the field should speak for him.
Click photo for larger image. We know Holmes was a special player at Ohio State. That's why the Steelers made him their No. 1 draft choice in April and signed him to a five-year, $8.11 million contract Friday, including a $5.42 million bonus. It's also why he could comfortably wear a red Buckeye Football T-shirt around the St. Vincent College campus yesterday with "Da Man" on the back.
But we don't know Holmes as a person. All we know is he was arrested on Memorial Day weekend in Miami on a disorderly conduct charge and again June 18 in Columbus, Ohio, on a domestic-abuse charge.
That's why it would have been nice if Holmes had pulled a Floyd Landis yesterday and asked us to wait to judge him until all the facts of his incidents are out. Remember, he hasn't been convicted of anything yet. It also would have been nice if he had said something like, maybe, "This isn't the way I wanted to start my career in Pittsburgh, but if you give me a chance, I'll prove to you the type of character I have."
But Holmes didn't do that.
He didn't even come close.
"I haven't gotten any negative feedback from one person since I've been in town the past month-and-a-half," Holmes said, leaving the impression he thinks it's perfectly normal for a guy to get arrested twice.
The whole scene was bizarre.
That's the only word to describe Holmes' response to a question about why he didn't return Roethlisberger's telephone calls after Big Ben reached out to him to show his support after his second arrest. "I called him a bunch of times and left a bunch of messages for him, and he never called me back, so I don't know how to take it," Roethlisberger told the Post-Gazette's Paul Zeise earlier this month. "The ball is in his court ..."
Responded Holmes: "I didn't get any calls from him."
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
That Holmes and Roethlisberger really do need to talk?
Maybe there's a logical explanation there. Maybe Roethlisberger had the wrong number for Holmes. Or maybe Holmes had a bad cell phone day and never got the messages.
Maybe.
But, no matter the circumstances, Holmes' answer made Roethlisberger look bad. Call me crazy, but I just don't see the wisdom in a rookie wide receiver making his quarterback look bad. Holmes' timing seemed especially jarring because, just two hours earlier, Roethlisberger had stood on the practice field after the team's grueling conditioning run and gushed about how glad he was that Holmes made it to camp on time without contract problems and how eager he was to work with him.
It's unclear when Holmes and Roethlisberger will chat, but Bill Cowher had a sit-down planned with Holmes last night. Wouldn't you have loved to be a fly on the wall during that conversation? Presumably, Cowher made clear his displeasure with the negative attention Holmes brought the Steelers and gave him a little unsolicited advice about the responsibility that goes with being a professional athlete. For Holmes' sake, here's hoping he showed a little more humility with the boss.
Hey, it's tough to be too hard on the kid. Holmes is 22 and, as he put it, "a young guy stepping into a great deal of things ahead of me." It's also understandable why he was on the defensive when he met the local media for the first time under these circumstances. There weren't the usual queries that a No. 1 pick gets about how it feels to suddenly be a multi-millionaire or how soon he expects to contribute to the team. Virtually the first question for Holmes was about the possibility of him having to miss camp time because of an Aug. 15 court date in Columbus on the domestic-abuse charge. He shrugged it off and indicated he plans on being on the practice field on Aug. 15.
"All of that is behind me," Holmes said. "As far as I know from talking to my attorneys, there's nothing more that I have to do."
That was the good news to come out of the session.
The only good news, unfortunately.
Young, immature and nervous or not, it's still hard to get by Holmes' complete lack of contrition.
That's why you'll have to forgive me if I'm not willing to share in his joy when he said, "It feels good to be a Steeler."
At this point, I'm not ready to say I'm happy that Holmes is a Steeler.
And the two arrests are only a part of it.

 

[sandgk]

Ron Cook is an ass. Always was and always will be.

Every home town paper has someone like him, a fellow who feels the only means to tell a story is by distorting the facts through a viscious lens, creating controversy where none existed before. Making a piece of work designed to place the subject in the worst possible light.

Ron Cook is an ass. Always was and always will be.

 

[osugrad21]

Notice the Kudla mention at the end of the article:

Link

Steelers Notebook: Cowher and Holmes have 'a good talk'

Monday, July 31, 2006
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Coach Bill Cowher had his long-awaited conversation Saturday night with rookie receiver Santonio Holmes, not all of it about football.
"We had a good talk," Cowher said yesterday. "He's got a lot of work to do but he's committed to getting caught up to where he will feel comfortable."
Holmes has to make up ground off and on the field because of two arrests in May and June, and after he missed most of the Steelers' spring drills because his Ohio State classes were still in session.
He took his first steps on the field yesterday when he practiced with his new teammates in pads for the first time and made a nice leaping catch of a deep pass from Charlie Batch.
"I saw him make a couple good catches," Cowher said. "He looked fine."
Holmes, though, was beset a little by cornerbacks bumping him off the line of scrimmage, a normal occurrence for a rookie receiver.
"He's going to learn certain things as a receiver as far as bump-and-run coverage," veteran cornerback Deshea Townsend said. "He's a great route runner but he has to learn those things in bump and guys are going to test him. It's his first day. He'll get a lot better."
Hines Ward predicted Holmes will do so off the field as well. The Super Bowl MVP spent the week leading to training camp with Holmes. They worked out together at the Steelers' UPMC complex and ate dinner together.
"I hung out with him," Ward said. "He's a good kid. The misconception of what's going on off the field, that's not really relevant to us. We understand the situation, we really know kind of what's going on with everything.
"He's eager to learn the game. He wanted to come out here and really... prove 'I am worthy of a first-round pick.' He's working hard and I'm just excited to work with him."

Rookies work

Ward has two valets who not only work for free but will buy him food and drink as well.
Receivers Holmes and Willie Reid, a third-round pick, share the traditional rookie duties of carrying veterans' pads and helmets up the hill and into the locker room after each practice.
"I had to do it, everybody else had to do it," Ward said, recalling his own days lugging veterans' pads in 1998. "We're going to treat [Holmes] like a rookie. He got a nice little signing bonus; we're going to get into that too. We're all going to eat good."

Bailey is back

You can find at least one player from the 2005 Seattle Seahawks who refuses to complain about the Super Bowl officiating and thinks the best team won. Rodney Bailey, a backup defensive end for the Seahawks last season, wears black and gold these days.
"I think the game was played out between two great teams," said Bailey, beginning his second tour of duty with the Steelers. "You had the two best teams left from the AFC and the NFC. It ended up the way it ended up and the Steelers definitely won that game.
"Like I told the guys immediately after the game, congratulations on a great season. Of course, when you go to the Super Bowl both teams definitely want to win. It didn't work out that way when I was with Seattle, but I was very happy for everyone over here."
Bailey returned to the Steelers this year as a free agent after leaving to sign with New England in 2004 as a restricted free agent (the Steelers received a sixth-round draft choice in return). He spent the entire season on the Patriots' injured reserve list, but that was still good enough for him to earn a Super Bowl ring. Cut by the Patriots last summer, Seattle signed him and he came close to making it two rings in two years.
Released by the Super Bowl runners-up, he signed with the Super Bowl champs and will try to win a roster spot as a backup to starting ends Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel. The competition is stiff because Travis Kirschke has been a good backup, the coaches like the potential of Shaun Nua, a seventh-round pick last season, and the Steelers drafted Orien Harris in the fourth round this year.
"I'm very excited for the opportunity," said Bailey, 26. "This is home for me. Coming back to St. Vincent, one of the most unique things about it, no matter how many years you are away from it, no matter the differences from the year before, when you come here it seems like you never left."

Short snaps

Undrafted rookie linebacker Mike Kudla will miss a few days of practices, according to Cowher, because of a hamstring muscle injury. ... Fullback Dan Kreider aggravated a previous foot injury and will be evaluated daily. ... The Steelers practice twice today; the second starting at 3 p.m. is open to fans.

 

[sandgk]

Cowherd Revamps the Ron Cook Article on The Herd

During his regular radio show Colin Cowherd revamped the Ron Cook article.

Labeled Holmes in the manner of the Cook article, (liar, troublemaker) then proceeded to extend that argument as a point of departure to describe the Ohio State University football program as troubled. The most pathetic part was that it was quite obvious that all the calls he recieved were very well screened to only agree with his position - which broadly stated was thus:
quoted so "oxymons" thinks this is my viewpoint.
"Jim Tressel isn't any different from John Cooper, both take / took players that they needed to win. Sometimes those players will run afoul of the rules, that's true at Ohio State - also true at other programs (though he gave UM-FL a clean pass). In truth he believes the only key diference between Cooper and Tressel is that Cooper didn't beat Michigan."

The fact that not one caller laid out that Ohio State under Tressel now has an improved team GPA, that they now keep in-state kids home (for the most part) that they win not just The Game, but also other Bowl Games. The fact that they all regurgitated the same Tressel beats Michigan, Cooper didn't line like a bunch of Johnny one-notes. These facts tells me the calls were carefully screened.

Somedays Cowherd is good to listen to, today was not one of those days.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

8/1/06

Holmes getting extra coaching in Steelers camp

Tuesday, August 1, 2006


LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Only a couple of days into training camp, and Hines Ward is having a positive influence on Steelers first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes.
Holmes, the first receiver taken in the 2006 NFL draft, felt soreness in a hamstring during the Steelers’ only on-field practice Monday. Instead of taking the rest of the day off, he stayed for extra work catching passes thrown by a machine and was the last player off the field.
And who suggested the extra work? None other than Ward, the four-time Pro Bowl receiver and Super Bowl MVP — and one of the league’s hardest-working players.
“I talked with Hines, and he told me to catch about 50 balls after practice if you don’t catch enough in practice,” Holmes said. “I caught about 70. I’m just trying to stay in shape and catch the ball from different angles.”
Holmes was in Pittsburgh for about a month before camp, mostly because of NCAA restrictions that barred him from attending the Steelers’ coaching sessions in late May and June with the other rookies. It was during that time he first hurt the hamstring, though neither he nor the Steelers think the problem is serious.
Holmes spent some time working out with Ward, who told him what to expect during his first training camp and season. “Every little thing I do, whether it’s right or wrong, he’s always there to correct me or to tell me to keep working on this,” Holmes said. “Or he’ll say I did a great job making this catch here or making a great move here or there. Just a lot of little things that a great receiver would do to help young guys and teach them all the things he’s learned.”

 

[elliemae]

During his regular radio show Colin Cowherd revamped the Ron Cook article.

Labeled Holmes in the manner of the Cook article, (liar, troublemaker) then proceeded to extend that argument as a point of departure to describe the Ohio State University football program as troubled. The most pathetic part was that it was quite obvious that all the calls he recieved were very well screened to only agree with his position - which broadly stated was thus:
quoted so "oxymons" thinks this is my viewpoint.
"Jim Tressel isn't any different from John Cooper, both take / took players that they needed to win. Sometimes those players will run afoul of the rules, that's true at Ohio State - also true at other programs (though he gave UM-FL a clean pass). In truth he believes the only key diference between Cooper and Tressel is that Cooper didn't beat Michigan."

The fact that not one caller laid out that Ohio State under Tressel now has an improved team GPA, that they now keep in-state kids home (for the most part) that they win not just The Game, but also other Bowl Games. The fact that they all regurgitated the same Tressel beats Michigan, Cooper didn't line like a bunch of Johnny one-notes. These facts tells me the calls were carefully screened.

Somedays Cowherd is good to listen to, today was not one of those days.

Gee,he sounds as if he does not like us Buckeyes! No skin off our noses,we know who we are!

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Goal-line was a real hit Thursday, August 3, 2006
By BOB LABRIOLA
Steelers.com
LATROBE, Pa. – One of the realities of training camp is that it's going to include peaks ands valleys even for the most talented and experienced of players. What's telling isn't so much whether a player experiences one of those valleys, but how he responds to it when it occurs.
In that sense, it's a perfect proving ground for an NFL regular season.
The Steelers went at it under the lights yesterday at Latrobe Stadium, and while the session was punctuated by the first installment of goal-line, the live tackling drill in which the offense gets four chances to score a touchdown from the 5-yard line, something happened earlier in the session that bodes well for this team.
Santonio Holmes has a lot of stuff going on right now, what with the typical pressure of being a No. 1 draft choice, added onto a somewhat tumultuous offseason, added onto the fact the Steelers are the defending Super Bowl champions, added onto the media scrutiny that's a part of all of that.
During Wednesday's morning practice, Holmes had his problems. He dropped a couple of passes and he muffed a couple of punts, and for a guy who listed catching everything that comes to him as a basic goal of every workout, such an experience qualifies as a valley.
During the night session, Holmes atoned the only way he could. By making plays and catching everything.
In front of a crowd of 11,000 fans, Holmes put together a very good practice, and he capped it with a leaping catch along the sideline among three defenders. Then, on the final play before the goal-line drill, he caught a pass right at the pylon. He didn't get the ball into the end zone, but it was a good catch just short of the goal line.
"The best part about it is we're able to work hard and compete, and they're giving great effort, and we're able to get these guys out here day after day," said Coach Bill Cowher. "There is no substitute for repetitions."
OK, so onto goal-line. The offense opened up with Duce Staley and Dan Kreider in the backfield, with Trai Essex serving as the third tight end along with Heath Miller and Jerame Tuman. And the play-calling was about as subtle as that personnel might indicate.
Staley carried on the first two plays and maybe gained 2 yards to set up a third-and-goal from the 3-yard line. Verron Haynes came in and gained 2 yards over the right side to set up a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Again, it was a power running play to Haynes, and the sound of the collision was impressive.
Casey Hampton was around Haynes' legs and then James Farrior and Troy Polamalu filled quickly and delivered a combination blow that stopped Haynes short of the goal line. Ryan Clark was also right there on the play.
"It was a close call, because on the second effort the ball was real close to crossing the plane of the goal line, but I had to make the call," said Cowher the referee, "and I made the call that he didn't break the plane."
Then it was time for the second units to go at it. On first down, Cedric Humes was stoned for no gain by Anthony Smith and Clint Kriewaldt. Humes may have the look of a goal-line runner in the NFL, but he was bent backward and had his helmet knocked off because he didn't get low enough when he hit the line of scrimmage.
On second down, Charlie Batch hit fullback Brandon Joe for a touchdown after a play-action fake to Humes.
"It was a good session, by both sides, both times we did it," said Cowher in spite of the moaning from the players about the officiating. "The defense is never happy, the offense is never happy, but I really don't care."
What he cared about is what this drill teaches.
"We'll do this again on Saturday up at St. Vincent College," said Cowher. "You can't do this enough. You go through an entire preseason, and you might get three or four repetitions down at the goal line – maybe – and those are very, very critical situations in games that count. That's why I feel it's important to get at least two good sessions in training camp so these guys get a feel for it.
"It was the first time we've hit, really, since the Super Bowl, and I think it got the juices going a little bit. We don't tackle in 9-on-7, even though we hit in training camp. It was live, and they all knew it."
INJURY UPDATE: "Cedrick Wilson has an Achilles injury," said Cowher, "but it's around the hamstring, so we're going to monitor him. He started practice but he didn't finish. We're going to be very cautious with that. Zach Baker (hamstring) and Mike Kudla (hamstring), both of those are going to be a couple of weeks."

 

[RugbyBuck]

Santonio's really fortunate to have Ward there to help him along. I hope he takes advantage of the opportunity. We know Holmes has a lot of heart. If he can just turn the volume down a little on the ego and stay out of trouble, he can be really good with Pittsburgh.

 

[Buckskin86]

August 03. 2006 1:00PM

Charge against Steelers wide receiver Santonio Homes dropped
The Associated Press

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes can now focus on his football career after a charge of disorderly conduct against him was dropped Thursday, his attorney said.

Holmes, 22, was among hundreds of people arrested as part of a police crackdown on revelers who annually converge on Miami Beach during the Memorial Day weekend. He had pleaded not guilty to charges that he blocked traffic and refused to obey a police order to move.

Prosecutors dismissed the charge against the Steelers' first-round draft pick, but he was ordered to donate $250 to the police officers assistance trust fund.

He was not in court Thursday.

"Mr. Holmes is glad to get this matter behind him," said his attorney, John Thornton Jr.

A native of Belle Glade, Holmes led Ohio State in receiving last year with 53 catches for 977 yards and 11 touchdowns. He decided to skip his final season of collegiate eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

http://www.the-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060803/APS/608030720&cachetime=5

 

[BayBuck]

Prosecutors dismissed the charge against the Steelers' first-round draft pick, but he was ordered to donate $250 to the police officers assistance trust fund.

*cough* scam *cough*

 

[Tipdogusaf]

I saw Holmes on Sportcenter this morning and he has cut off all his hair.

 

[sandgk]

Good news for Santonio on the dropping of those charges in Florida. For $250 I'd walk away to a 7 figure deal in the NFL, wouldn't you?

Hopefully for Santonio this is one down, one to go - and Sam can get the more serious sounding charges in Columbus dismissed.

Then the Pittsburgh papers (wannabe big city reporters, the lot of them) will owe him an apology. Watch, because those louses won't cough up the praise until he delivers a 12 TD season into their laps.