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Holmes Coming Clean About His Past

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: January 30, 2009

TAMPA - Santonio Holmes' revelation this week that he briefly sold drugs as a youth in Belle Glade has created a stir in the national media, which is exactly what he wanted.

But he's done with the subject as far as Super Bowl XLIII is concerned.

"I've got three more days before I play in this big game, and I really don't want to change the focus," the Steelers' No. 2 receiver said Thursday. "It's been talked about too much and we definitely want to put it aside right now."

Holmes made the admission in an interview with The Miami Herald on Tuesday and talked about it during his Super Bowl media availability Wednesday.

The second cousin of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor and a single father of three chose the biggest stage of his career to reveal his darkest secret in hopes his story will dissuade someone else from taking a wrong path.

"I feel it's time to share things," he said. "Everybody's going to be watching. I'm pretty sure some kids can get a feel for changing their lives and not doing those types of things and can get an opportunity to get out of the ghetto, the 'hood, to be successful."

Holmes told the Herald he was surrounded by family members and others who sold drugs and "that's all we knew." He said that for nearly a year, he would leave school and stand on the corner much of the day, selling drugs to buy shoes or snacks or just "have money in our pockets."

Because of the drug involvement, Holmes and his mother routinely came home to find bullet holes in their apartment.

"As the years grew older, I just felt like that wasn't what I wanted to do," Holmes said. "I wanted to play football. I don't want to end up like a lot of my friends, in jail, standing on the corner, not going to school."

One time, Holmes' mother found cocaine in the youth's dump truck. She eventually moved them away from the bad neighborhood.

"It made me who I am today," Holmes said. "If I had continued down that path, I wouldn't be here."

Holmes' life became football and other sports. He starred at Glades Central High, helping the school win state titles his sophomore and junior seasons and go 12-1 his senior year.

He also lettered in track and basketball - the track team won a state title his junior year and the basketball team was runner-up his senior year.

After three years at Ohio State, Holmes was drafted by the Steelers in the first round (25th overall) in 2006.

Thursday, Holmes reflected on the small size of his hometown and retold the story of how he and his friends would build endurance and improve agility by chasing rabbits through the woods and muck.

"Growing up there, it was real tough," he said. "We didn't have any jobs, we didn't have opportunity for jobs. If your parents were working in the fields, there was no time for you to go out and find a job, because some of the guys had to stay at home and take care of their brothers and sisters.

"We didn't have many opportunities to do anything."

Which had him headed for serious trouble - something he hopes his story can help others avoid.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at 813-259-7994.

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