By Gerry Dulac
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
When the Steelers picked him with the 25th overall selection in the NFL draft, Santonio Holmes was viewed as something more than just a replacement for Antwaan Randle El. He was a talented, big-play receiver from Ohio State who also was an outstanding punt returner, a player of such skill that the Steelers traded up seven spots in the draft to select him.
By all accounts, according to coaches and scouts, Holmes was a nice, likeable person who had helped his single-parent mother raise her four children in the tough, crime-infested neighborhood of Belle Glade, Fla., just south of West Palm Beach. When he reported to the team's minicamp a week later, Steelers coaches were impressed with his personality as much as with his physical skills.
Almost nobody could foresee what would transpire after that.
In a span of 25 days, Holmes, 22, was arrested in two cities, the most recent -- and more serious -- on a charge of domestic violence and assault against the mother of one of his three children. That does not include an arrest in November 2003, when he was charged with disorderly conduct in connection with an altercation outside an Ohio State campus dormitory in which four women reported being assaulted.
Not only has his off-field behavior raised questions about his character, but it also could result in punishment and possible suspension by the NFL for violation of its personal-conduct policy, even though Holmes has not signed a contract with the Steelers.
But at least one former NFL executive who deals with college football players said he thought Holmes was a problem "ready to explode."
Ken Herock, a former pro personnel director with the Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers, has a service called "Pro Prep" in which he counsels and prepares college players on how to conduct themselves in interviews for the NFL draft. As part of the process, Herock teaches players who have legal or behavioral problems what to say in interviews with NFL coaches and general managers.
Herock, a Munhall native, worked with Holmes in January.
Two years ago, he helped Ben Roethlisberger prep for the NFL draft.
"I had an impression of the kid, where he was from, such a tough area, but soon as he told me he had three kids I knew it was going to be a problem," Herock said. "He was dirt poor, all of a sudden he's got a little money, you get a little rambunctious.
"But I would have never thought it would happen now. I thought he might explode in year two or three. Add it up -- no money, poor family background, three kids already -- something's going to happen."
An unmarried father of three
Holmes has two sons -- Santonio III, 4, and Nicori, 25 months -- who live with his mother, Patricia Brown, in Belle Glade. He also has a daughter, Shaniya, 4 months, with another woman, Lashae Boone, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. Holmes has never been married.
Some draft experts thought his status as an unmarried father of three could hurt Holmes' position in the draft. But he ended up being the first wide receiver selected when the Steelers traded from No. 32 to No. 25 to get him.
"Does he take his kids on the field with him?" Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith said to the Akron Beacon Journal in March, after observing a Holmes workout at Ohio State. "Very seldom do guys go into that once they're on the football field. Things like that happen. We're looking at his character on the field. We look at character when they break the law, but that's not breaking any laws. That's a part of society."
It was Boone who called police, June 19, and alleged in an affidavit Holmes was "choking [her], throwing her to the ground ... and slamming her into a door," leading to his arrest on charges of domestic violence and assault. Both charges are first-degree misdemeanors.
Holmes pleaded not guilty and was released the following day on a $3,500 recognizance bond. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled July 7 before Judge Michael Brandt in Columbus.
At the time of his arrest, Holmes also was issued a traffic order for failing to pay a fine for an accident Oct. 19, 2005. Holmes rear-ended another vehicle on Interstate 70, west of Columbus, according to Mike Woods, a public information officer for the Columbus Police. Holmes was issued a citation for Assured Clear Distance Ahead, a misdemeanor, and failed to pay the fine by an appointed date.
"I'm surprised what's happening to him now," Herock said. "It was something I thought might occur later. But I thought something will happen, cause him to explode, because I know the background. Not something serious, maybe a fight in a bar or something, maybe a domestic issue, but something was going to happen."
The domestic violence charge came less than a month after Holmes was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct May 27 in the South Beach section of Miami Beach, Fla.
According to a police report, Holmes was observed walking in the middle of the road on Collins Avenue, a trendy South Beach street of outdoor bars and restaurants. When traffic became disrupted, a police officer told Holmes to "get out of the street." According to the report, Holmes "said several offensive words" to the police officer and was arrested.
Holmes was released without bail on a promissory note and promised to return for a later hearing. A hearing is scheduled July 12 before Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami Beach courthouse, five days after his hearing in Columbus.
That, though, wasn't the first time Holmes had been arrested.
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I think they might want to keep on looking.
