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Tony Haynes: Holt Brothers Keep on Giving
Torry and Terrence Holt continue to represent NC State in a class manner.
April 20, 2005
By Tony Haynes
During his annual charity golf tournament earlier this week, Torry Holt never stopped saying "thank you." On every single hole, he made a special effort to offer a hug and a "thank you' to the many volunteers who had given up their Sundays to help out at the tournament, played at Crooked Creek Golf Club in Fuquay. We can recite the statistics that tell us that Torry and Terrence Holt were two outstanding football players at NC State. But stats don't tell the whole story. The fame and wealth they have obtained have not stopped the Holt brothers from giving back to NC State, their family and their community.
I arrived at Crooked Creek last Sunday after being invited to participate in the Torry Holt Golf Classic for the fourth straight year. Having skipped the pairings party the previous night, I had no idea that `the man' himself would be playing in my group. Although I wasn't broadcasting NC State games when Torry played for the Wolfpack, I had met him a few times before when he would stop by to do a pregame or halftime interview on those occasions when he was in town.
Yes, we all know Torry Holt is a class act, but when given the opportunity to spend five hours with him on a golf course, it became more and more obvious that this guy doesn't have a phony bone in his body.
There are some professional athletes who carry two different personalities. When the camera is running, they say all the right things for the purpose of maintaining a certain respectful image. But once the red light goes off, they fall back into being the bratty prima donnas that we so often read about in news reports and books.
Torry Holt is the real deal, both on the field and off it.
After smashing all of NC State's receiving records in the late 1990s, Holt has gone on to become one of the NFL's elite wide receivers. "Big Game" as he now known has actually caught more passes for more yards (383 receptions for 5,733 yards) than any other pass catcher in the game over the last four seasons. And while the fame and money have continued to stream his way, the humility he developed as a kid growing up in Gibsonville remains a staple of his even-keeled, respectful personality.
Should professional athletes be role models? Probably not. They play games for a living, while raking in huge sums of money. Is Torry Holt a role model? Well if he's not, he should be. Younger brother Terrence, who set the new ACC record for blocked kicks during his career with the Wolfpack, had spent most of his life in Torry's shadow. Initially a walk on at NC State, Terrence went on to become one of the ACC's top safeties before being drafted by the Detroit Lions. Now a co-host of the annual tournament that carries his big brother's name, Terrence also went out of his way to show his appreciation for everyone who was contributing their time and money to Sunday's fundraiser.
Life as the Holt brothers knew it changed forever on December 26th, 1997. That was the day their mother, Ojetta Holt-Shoffner, lost a long battle with cancer. And though she died at what should have been the halfway point of her life, Ojetta's memory and legacy lives on. Not only did she teach her boys to represent themselves with class and dignity, she also unknowingly lit a fire of inspiration that has pushed the brothers to heights that perhaps not even they could have imagined growing up.
On the golf course the other day, Torry recited a conversation he once had with Jimmy Kiser, one of his offensive coaches at NC State. Kiser reminded him that it wasn't enough to be fast, talented in athletic. To be great, Kiser said, Torry would have to outwork the many others who also possessed such natural gifts.
Of course, we now know that his discipline and work ethic have reached near legendary proportions in the NFL. At the golf tournament on Sunday, the hot dogs, hamburgers and Philly chicken sandwiches were readily available and fair game for those of us who couldn't possibly say no to the busy venders set up around the course . Tempted just like the rest of us, Torry would always take a look at the tasty treats, lick his lips a few times and then say, "can't do it; I'm in training."
And while he managed to lay off the food, Holt never lost sight of the people who volunteered their time to the cause, an effort he hopes will contribute to finally beating the heinous disease that took his mother away so prematurely.
On every single tee where there was a volunteer, there would be a hug and a thank you. On many of the greens, he would simply stop what he was doing while the rest of us on his team were putting out to make sure that other volunteers received the same recognition. The St. Louis Rams superstar would walk over to a person he'd never seen in his life, wrap his arms around them and express his sincere thanks.
Now it's our turn: Thank you Torry and Terrence.
Torry and Terrence Holt continue to represent NC State in a class manner.
April 20, 2005
By Tony Haynes
During his annual charity golf tournament earlier this week, Torry Holt never stopped saying "thank you." On every single hole, he made a special effort to offer a hug and a "thank you' to the many volunteers who had given up their Sundays to help out at the tournament, played at Crooked Creek Golf Club in Fuquay. We can recite the statistics that tell us that Torry and Terrence Holt were two outstanding football players at NC State. But stats don't tell the whole story. The fame and wealth they have obtained have not stopped the Holt brothers from giving back to NC State, their family and their community.
I arrived at Crooked Creek last Sunday after being invited to participate in the Torry Holt Golf Classic for the fourth straight year. Having skipped the pairings party the previous night, I had no idea that `the man' himself would be playing in my group. Although I wasn't broadcasting NC State games when Torry played for the Wolfpack, I had met him a few times before when he would stop by to do a pregame or halftime interview on those occasions when he was in town.
Yes, we all know Torry Holt is a class act, but when given the opportunity to spend five hours with him on a golf course, it became more and more obvious that this guy doesn't have a phony bone in his body.
There are some professional athletes who carry two different personalities. When the camera is running, they say all the right things for the purpose of maintaining a certain respectful image. But once the red light goes off, they fall back into being the bratty prima donnas that we so often read about in news reports and books.
Torry Holt is the real deal, both on the field and off it.
After smashing all of NC State's receiving records in the late 1990s, Holt has gone on to become one of the NFL's elite wide receivers. "Big Game" as he now known has actually caught more passes for more yards (383 receptions for 5,733 yards) than any other pass catcher in the game over the last four seasons. And while the fame and money have continued to stream his way, the humility he developed as a kid growing up in Gibsonville remains a staple of his even-keeled, respectful personality.
Should professional athletes be role models? Probably not. They play games for a living, while raking in huge sums of money. Is Torry Holt a role model? Well if he's not, he should be. Younger brother Terrence, who set the new ACC record for blocked kicks during his career with the Wolfpack, had spent most of his life in Torry's shadow. Initially a walk on at NC State, Terrence went on to become one of the ACC's top safeties before being drafted by the Detroit Lions. Now a co-host of the annual tournament that carries his big brother's name, Terrence also went out of his way to show his appreciation for everyone who was contributing their time and money to Sunday's fundraiser.
Life as the Holt brothers knew it changed forever on December 26th, 1997. That was the day their mother, Ojetta Holt-Shoffner, lost a long battle with cancer. And though she died at what should have been the halfway point of her life, Ojetta's memory and legacy lives on. Not only did she teach her boys to represent themselves with class and dignity, she also unknowingly lit a fire of inspiration that has pushed the brothers to heights that perhaps not even they could have imagined growing up.
On the golf course the other day, Torry recited a conversation he once had with Jimmy Kiser, one of his offensive coaches at NC State. Kiser reminded him that it wasn't enough to be fast, talented in athletic. To be great, Kiser said, Torry would have to outwork the many others who also possessed such natural gifts.
Of course, we now know that his discipline and work ethic have reached near legendary proportions in the NFL. At the golf tournament on Sunday, the hot dogs, hamburgers and Philly chicken sandwiches were readily available and fair game for those of us who couldn't possibly say no to the busy venders set up around the course . Tempted just like the rest of us, Torry would always take a look at the tasty treats, lick his lips a few times and then say, "can't do it; I'm in training."
And while he managed to lay off the food, Holt never lost sight of the people who volunteered their time to the cause, an effort he hopes will contribute to finally beating the heinous disease that took his mother away so prematurely.
On every single tee where there was a volunteer, there would be a hug and a thank you. On many of the greens, he would simply stop what he was doing while the rest of us on his team were putting out to make sure that other volunteers received the same recognition. The St. Louis Rams superstar would walk over to a person he'd never seen in his life, wrap his arms around them and express his sincere thanks.
Now it's our turn: Thank you Torry and Terrence.