CORTLAND — Keyshawn Johnson gave Santonio Holmes some damn advice yesterday.
Yep, one former controversial Jets wide receiver advising the current diva wide receiver about how to deal with the media.
That should work out well.
“My advice to him is, don’t pay attention to it,” said Johnson, now an ESPN analyst. “Allow you to write and say what you want to say. I’ll read it. … I read every freaking clip there was and laughed about it because some of the stuff was right, some of the stuff was completely wrong. I went on about my business and practiced every day and played every day. … My advice is don’t pay any attention. Go out and play and let the play speak for you and then at the end of the day you can tell them to you know what.”
Johnson, who famously titled his book “Just Give Me the Damn Ball!,” put his arm around Holmes and walked off the practice field with him, sharing laughs. This came a week after Holmes told the media to be more positive.
“[It was] pretty much big brother to little brother type talk, just teaching me how to be cordial to everybody,” Holmes said, “and to understand what gift I have to give to this football team and to this organization and learning how to utilize it.”
It was the first time Holmes had spoken to the media that regularly cover the team since Organized Team Activities in June. He didn’t deliver any lectures this time, but did decline to answer a question about last season, saying, “That was last year, we’re moving on right now. Let’s talk about something positive.”
Here’s some positivity for Holmes: He and quarterback Mark Sanchez looked good in their first training camp practice. They connected three times during team and 7-on-7 drills, including one really nice catch by Holmes.
Both players said they feel their offseason work on their relationship has paid off. They famously butted heads last season when Holmes skipped a meeting Sanchez organized in the final week of the season and acted out at another. The $45 million receiver finished the season with a disappointing 51 catches for 654 yards and eight touchdowns.
Sanchez and Holmes spent time together at Holmes’ home in Florida in February and then spent the spring working on their relationship. Holmes said he learned a lot about Sanchez this offseason.
“It’s building trust,” Holmes said.
Holmes admitted that trust was not there last year.
“I think it was all over the place amongst us all,” Holmes said. “It wasn’t just between myself and Mark. It was the quarterbacks and receivers.”
Sanchez said Holmes set an example for the team’s young receivers with the way he ran his routes yesterday.
“I think it’s just the attitude, that extra work we put in, that mentality coming into it that we’re ready to attack this thing together,” Sanchez said. “We really worked on our communication in the offseason and it looked great.”
Jets coach Rex Ryan chastised Holmes publicly on Thursday for saying a two-quarterback system can’t work. Ryan said he didn’t hire Holmes to be the team’ offensive coordinator. Holmes said yesterday he thinks Ryan was joking.
“He likes the mindset that I have and the attitude that I bring to this team. I think it was just a joke between us,” Ryan said. “He understands me and I understand everything that he says. We’re not going to take anything from what was said in the media.”
Ryan deadpanned, “If that’s what he said, I’m with him all the way.”