| No. 43, 44, 47, 37 | |||||||||
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| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1957-12-22)December 22, 1957 (age 68) Newport News, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Bethel (VA) | ||||||||
| College | West Virginia | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1980: undrafted | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
Playing | |||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Jerry Lee Holmes (born December 22, 1957) is an Americanfootball coach and formercornerback. He played ten seasons in theNational Football League (NFL), mainly forNew York Jets but also with theDetroit Lions andGreen Bay Packers. He also played in theUnited States Football League (USFL) for theNew Jersey Generals and thePittsburgh Maulers. Holmes attendedWest Virginia University.[1]
Holmes began his collegiate career atChowan Junior College before transferring toWest Virginia University. He lettered for two years at West Virginia. Holmes was a standout defensive back for two seasons on WVU’s 1978 and 1979 football teams after coming to Morgantown from Chowan Junior College in North Carolina.
Holmes earned All-East and totaled 175 career tackles in his two-year Mountaineer career and was a captain his senior season. Despite a limited time in the Mountaineer uniform, Holmes still was named a member of WVU’s all-1970s team and earned the award for the team’s most valuable player in 1979.
Holmes made theNew York Jets roster in 1980 as a rookie free agent. While primarily a backup his rookie season, he became a starter by early 1981[2] on a vastly improved Jets defense that helped lead the team to its first playoff berth in 12 years. Holmes intercepted aJoe Ferguson pass in a 31–27 AFC Wild Card playoff loss to theBuffalo Bills.
Holmes notched 3 interceptions during the 1982 regular season and recovered a fumble byLos Angeles Raiders WRCliff Branch in a playoff game, quashing a potential late first half field goal in a game ultimately won by the Jets 17-14.[3]
On September 2, 1983, Holmes signed a future contract with thePittsburgh Maulers of theUSFL to begin in 1984. The contract reportedly tripled his salary and earned him a signing bonus, in addition to being personally guaranteed by Maulers ownerEdward J. DeBartolo Sr. in case of injury during his remaining Jets time.[4] Despite his lame duck status, Holmes had several big plays during the season that keyed Jets wins. In week 4, Holmes returned a blocked field goal 57 yards against the Rams for his first career touchdown in a 27-24 OT victory. In week 9, he picked off aJoe Montana pass late in the game and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown to clinch and upset victory atSan Francisco.
Holmes started all 18 games for the expansion Maulers in 1984[5] and had two interceptions.[6] The Maulers franchise folded and Holmes' contract was assigned to theNew Jersey Generals for the 1985 season, for which he started and contributed three interceptions.
After theUSFL announced it was suspending its fall 1986 season on August 4, 1986, Holmes re-signed with the Jets late in training camp.[7] He led the team with 6 interceptions (finishing 5th in the AFC) in the regular season and added one more in a Divisional playoff loss at Cleveland. Holmes was released by the Jets during 1988 training camp and signed with theDetroit Lions.
Homes started for the Lions in 1988-89 and swiped 7 total interceptions, including 6 in 1989 which tied him for third in the NFC. He scored his last career touchdown on November 12, 1989, against theGreen Bay Packers.[8]
Holmes finished his career as a starter for the Packers in 1990-91, totaling four more interceptions for a career NFL total of 25 (and a professional total of 30). He announced his retirement during 1992 training camp.[9]
Jerry Holmes enters his first season as head coach at Hampton University. Prior to becoming head coach Holmes spent the last third season as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach here at Hampton (2004–07). Holmes’ also spent five years coaching defensive backs for the San Diego Chargers (2002–03), the Washington Redskins (2001) and the Cleveland Browns (1999-00).
As a coach, Holmes embodies the same characteristics that he demonstrated as a player in the NFL and the USFL, physical play and aggressive football. His coaching prowess has transferred successfully to his players on the field everywhere that he has been. In 2001 his Redskins secondary boasted the NFL’s sixth leading defense against the pass. The team’s 23 interceptions were the fifth most in the league. During Holmes’ tenure with the Browns, Cleveland ranked 11th and 12th in the league against the pass.
Holmes began his coaching career as the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator at Hampton University from 1992 to 1994. During those three seasons with the Pirates, Hampton posted a remarkable record of 31-4-1, winning three consecutive CIAA championships, making two trips to the NCAA playoffs and capturing the 1994 Black College National Championship. After leaving Hampton, Holmes spent the next four seasons (1994–98) as the defensive backs coach at his alma mater West Virginia University. In 1996 the Mountaineers featured the nation’s top-ranked defense that included a No. 5 national ranking against the pass. He has also completed coaching internships with the Detroit Lions, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Boston University.
Since his return to Hampton Holmes has continued his previous success by guiding linebacker Justin Durant to three consecutive MEAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, while also helping the Pirate defense lead the country in turnovers forced with 43 in 2004. During the 2005 campaign his unit finished the year ranking second in the Division I FCS in points allowed at 14 points per game, while also ranking sixth in total defense. Last season the Pirates continued to display their dominance on the defensive side of the ball surrendering just 14.5 points per game, ranking third in pass defense and second in tackles for loss.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Pirates(Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)(2008) | |||||||||
| 2008 | Hampton | 6–5 | 5–3 | T–2nd | |||||
| Hampton: | 6–5 | 5–3 | |||||||
| Total: | 6–5 | ||||||||