Former Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman Louis Holmes died on Tuesday. The cause of death remains undisclosed. Holmes was 38 years old.
Holmes played two seasons for the Wildcats in 2006 and β07 under then-coach Mike Stoops, who was βin disbeliefβ on Thursday upon hearing the news of Holmesβ passing.
βIβm saddened to hear that. He was a very talented player,β Stoops told the Star. βHe did a great job for us. ... I donβt know what else to say. Iβm kind of shocked by all of this.β
Holmes, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native who was among the top junior-college prospects nationally as a star defensive end at Scottsdale Community College, signed with the Wildcats over national powerhouse USC. In two seasons at Arizona, the former JC All-American totaled 73 tackles, 10.5 stops for losses and six sacks and was named a second-team All-Pac-10 selection during his junior season in β06.
When the 6-6, 260-pound edge rusher signed with the Wildcats, he became one of the most highly anticipated recruits at the UA under Stoops.
ββDang it, this guy is going to take my job,β β Holmesβ former UA teammate, Ricky Elmore, recalled.
Elmore told the Star on Thursday that βHolmes was a superstar when he came in.β
βHe had tons of hype, and Arizona rolled out the red carpet,β Elmore said. βIβve always loved Louis. He had an infectious personality. He was tough to deal with sometimes, but you just loved the guy.
βI always had a good relationship with him, and I was a young guy, so I always kind of looked up to him. He always talked to me and never looked down on me. He never acted like he was better than me, so I always respected him for that. Maybe thatβs why I liked him so much. I always had a good experience with him. ...
βIt was cool to play behind Louis, because he had all the talent in the world. He was a big guy, had the size, had the speed and was very motivating for someone like me because I was a try-hard guy and always wanted to work to be like that. He was very inspiring and motivating, and his talent was fun to watch. It helped mold me to become a better football player.β
Tucson native and former UA defensive back Victor Yates vividly remembers how astonished he was by Holmesβ athleticism for a defensive end.
βWhen he came in, he was the No. 1-rated junior-college defensive end in the nation, and one thing that was so crazy was his first practice. He looked like a wide receiver while the rest of the D-linemen looked like O-linemen,β Yates said. βHe was that much faster than the other guys.β
Holmes also stood out among the other UA football players because βhe had a haircut that was so futuristic and ahead of its time,β Yates said.
βItβs still crazy to think about it; he had mohawk-dreads. I havenβt seen it before, havenβt seen it since,β Yates said. βHe had a commanding presence and was always good for a few jokes.β
One of Elmoreβs fondest memories of Holmes was when βhe showed up with a bag of tacos from Jack in the Boxβ for a study group.
βHe was like. βIβm going to study with you guys,β and he showed up two hours late and rolled up with a bunch of tacos. He was like βOh, I got some tacos, want some?β We had this study party set for 7 (p.m.) and he showed up at like 8:30 and was like, βI got all of you guys food!β It was just funny,β Elmore said. βThere was always something funny like that.β
Said Yates: β(Holmes) came off as a guy who was willing to share what he had with others. ... He was like, βHey, Iβm getting tacos, but so are yaβll.β Thatβs a cool attribute to think about when it comes to his legacy. He loved doing things his own way. Thatβs his entrepreneur mindset. He was just different, man. He didnβt beat the dream to the masses. He was crafty, resourceful and got things done in nontraditional methods.β
Holmesβ career at Arizona wasnβt unblemished: In August 2007, he was arrested on charges of criminal damage and disorderly conduct for a fight at a Scottsdale night club heading into his senior season.
After the β07 season, Holmes struggled to find success professionally. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneersβ practice squad as an undrafted free agent before joining the UFLβs California Redwoods and the Arena Football League with the Spokane Shock and Los Angeles KISS in 2015.
According to Yates, Holmes spent his post-playing career βhelping people gain financial literacy and become independent financially.β
On and off the field, Holmes was as original as they come.
βHe was authentic,β Elmore said.
βThereβs a lot of people who are fake, but Louis was Louis.β
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