Steve Serby caught up with Jets receiver Santonio Holmes for an unplugged rap session.
Q: Why will you be a good captain for this team?
A: The characteristics, you know … leading my example … being punctual … always grinding it out to the last second … never allowing anybody to take a break off.
Q: Describe your mentality on the field.
A: No holds barred. There’s not one chain, one bar, one handcuff that can keep me from playing this game. Like, if I’m on the field, it’s time. It’s time to go. And my attention to detail is probably at about 90-ish percent when I’m on the field, because I notice when I don’t things right, and even if I do, there’s something that I didn’t do right, that made it look good for everybody else.
Q: So when you put the helmet on, tell me what you become.
A: It’s one of those forces that … like it’s only one way to be stopped, and I will never give that secret away. I turn into a force that … can only one thing can stop me. And I will walk away from the game with my held high before I would ever let anything keep me down.
Q: Why do you think you’re that way?
A: Because when you want to be great, you make no excuses. You don’t think twice. … You do what’s right the first time.
Q: Would you say you have a killer instinct on the field?
A: More like a (smile) a deflating instinct.
Q: What do you mean?
A: Because with just the pinch of a pin, I can deflate you without using that kind of force.
Q: Psychological warfare, that kind of thing?
A: I’m going to get the job done, and you’re not going to like it, the way I get the job done. It’s really going to upset you. I won’t talk to you — unless you really talk back to me. … I just kill ’em with kindness, on the field. That’s why I say the instinct of a pin. … You can just poke the smallest hole in something and deflate it, without it even knowing.
Q: Why would that be your approach, to kill them with kindness?
A: Because it kind of gets the guys out of them game. Once you start talking to ’em in a totally different tone? Guys start thinking about you more than what they should be worried about.
Q: So you will talk to them …
A: If they don’t talk to me the whole game, I won’t say nothing to them. I just beat them on the field. I just beat ’em. But when they start making comments, “Oh I knocked this pass down, you’re not catching any balls” … I keep my mouth closed until the job is done and now I look back at you, you know, “Look at what just happened to you.” But killing them with kindness is I really don’t have to talk to them. I just get the job done and you’re really gonna be hurt, once the job is done.
Q: Why do you like big games so much?
A: Just hearing a saying from Santana Moss, I think from when he was in college at the University of Miami … playing in high school in Florida: “Big-time players step up in big-time games.” And when I really realized what that saying meant, every time there was a play needed to be made, you saw him just scoring a touchdown, walking to the sideline, taking his helmet off smiling. When I picked that up in high school, that kind of stuck with me because I was a one-, maybe two-, three-catch person a game. But I would have maybe a hundred yards, maybe a touchdown, every time I touched the ball. And my mom, she texts it to me every week.
Q: What does she text?
A: Big-time players step up in big games.
Q: Every week?
A: Every week. Every week she texts me that.
Q: Physically, what attributes do you think you have that sets you apart?
A: I’d probably say, my hands. because I can catch a pass as if the ball just blew right past me, but I will catch the ball on the back side, without even looking at it. Just knowing the trajectory of the ball, the way it’s coming, I can let a pass come past my eyes and catch it on the back side.
Q: How far do you think you are away from greatness? Or how close?
A: Putting on the yellow jacket at the end of my career.
Q: That’s your goal.
A: That’s my goal. Whatever it takes to get to that point, that’s what I’ve been building to get.
Q: What would you say are the keys to greatness?
A: Hard work; confidence; just being great every day in practice. … No mistakes … no excuses … teaching yourself … learning from others … don’t have Coach correct you on the same mistakes week in, week out. … Every day in practice, asking your coach to talk to you more, correct you when you’re doing wrong and even if you’re doing right — “Hey Coach, I did this but, I want to know what can I do to do better in this situation.” … Playing the game before it happens … knowing where to be … being on the same page with your quarterback, and just showing confidence.
Q: Why do you think you’re so driven to have your own Hall of Fame bust?
A: You play the game for the highest pinnacles. And if you’re really passionate about something, why half-ass do it? If you want to be good, be good. But if you want to be great, do it, and don’t just be it. You let everybody else talk about how great, good, or whatever it may be, but just know that what you’re doing on the back side is the reason for all of this talk — to be great.
Q: How would you define swag?
A: Swag is carrying your own. It’s carrying yourself. It’s being “the guy” when everybody else really depends on “the guy.” Having that kind of swag, you know once you step on that field, man, I don’t see nobody. I don’t see anybody on the football field, when I’m out there playing, I don’t care who he is, what color jersey, number, name on the back of his jersey — There’s Santonio Holmes and there’s Mark Sanchez on the field. I don’t see anybody. And that’s what my definition of carrying swag means.
Q: It’s like a pitcher who only sees the catcher’s glove.
A: There’s nobody else there! He sees a box. Every day he goes to work, he sees a little white box. And when he throws that ball, it has to hit in that box. I don’t care where the guy swings the bat at, who’s up to bat, I got to throw that ball in that box. When that catcher tells me to throw it at the corner of that box, I got to throw it at the corner of that box.
Q: Except Sanchez is your box.
A: When I turn my head around to see if that ball is thrown in my direction, I don’t see anything but him, and the ball leaving his hands. That’s it.
Q: The worst thing you saw in Muck City, Fla growing up?
A: It’s been a lot. It’s been a lot. And most would say it’s probably watching someone get killed. But, just knowing that there was never shopping areas for us to go to … cornfields, cane fields, canals … pretty much the survival of the fittest. There was never nothing for us to really work hard for. There was not even much example on how to become somebody in Belle Glade (Fla.). There were no leaders in the area who came back to shine brighter to give the kids better opportunities.
Q: You go back there?
A: I have events that I go back to them, and I try to make every year. But as far as my parents, they probably will hate me for saying it, but I try not to. It’s not a place that I want to relive again, you know? It’s just the whole point of growing up with nothing, that I can’t see myself going back there.
Q: Are you proud of yourself for being where you are today?
A: No question. No question. And I do it for everybody that’s back home who wants to get out, who want to see what it’s like. Leave. Leave that place, man. … And each year, I’m trying to rebuild something, year by year. It’s gonna take a long time. But, for everybody that leaves, one thing to do think about is, to just come and give back, at some point. Don’t just leave it where it’s at because it won’t get better unless you decide to put in a helping hand. And that’s where I’m at right now.
Q: What specifically are you doing or have you done recently?
A: We have a finesse football camp that’s being run in Boca Raton, and I sponsor 10 kids from the ages of 7-14 from my area, the local football teams, to participate in a four-day football camp with guys from all over the country. I started up a dream foundation where we’re starting to put a mentoring program, into different school systems in Palm Beach County. … I have a Thanksgiving event that I give back to every year. … I have a Christmas drive at the Boys & Girls Club that will give back to. … I have my own — myself and Fred Taylor — football camp that we throw back in May every year.
Q: Do you want to change your public image because of some of the problems (four-game suspension in 2010 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy) you’ve had in the past?
A: I think day by day it is changing. Because when you check out the Twitters, the Facebooks, the Soultron, the company that I’m part owner in, it’s a lot of wonderful things that are being done, and it doesn’t all have to happen right away. And I think day by day, the media’s going to realize, once the season really gets kicking off, and all the things that I’m really involved in, and my personal approach to helping out others, a lot of people are going to see it and recognize it, and eventually it’s going to carry itself around the world. And it doesn’t really have to take effect until I’m done playing, because this is what I love to do right now. And what I’m doing off the field is just building a legacy to better others in their lives.
Q: What adjectives would you use to describe yourself off the field?
A: Very outgoing … fun … energetic … as my kids would say, a great father, the best dad ever. I’m becoming the big brother that I was supposed to be. Just out trying to find my way through the world. It wasn’t easy, being the oldest child, and didn’t have any guidance to getting out in the real world, and I left my (three) brothers behind, and I think the story that’s going to come out, probably later this year with me and my brothers. It’ll probably be a big insight to a lot of people to see where I came from, and really what it was like growing up as a kid.
Q: How is the story coming out?
A: Via sort of say movie settings. Me and my brothers are just going to get videoed throughout the whole season this year.
Q: Biggest influences growing up?
A: Probably have to be my dad, for one. Just for not being there. And I would probably say my mom. She worked hard, took care of four boys, till I was able to get out of the house.
Q: Could you elaborate on that about your dad for not being there?
A: That’s a whole story, he left when I was born … probably about 2. I saw him probably up till I was about 7, maybe every once in a while, but never spend any time with him, don’t know him personally, can’t tell you anything that he likes, nothing that he knows. … Don’t know anything about him.
Q: Did it bother you as a child?
A: It made me become the father that I am. I will never leave my kids alone. Just knowing how much I love mine and spend time with them and teaching them things, I couldn’t see how a person could do that.
Q: And you haven’t spoken to him since?
A: We’ve spoken. … We’ve spoken over the years … every now then and sparingly, here and there. But never really, ‘Let’s sit down and go eat. Let’s catch up, let’s talk.” Never had one of those days. I’m almost 30 so …
Q: You don’t foresee it happening?
A: I do, I do. I’ve asked him to come and stay with me this season, and hopefully he does. If he don’t, oh well.
Q: Your 9-year-old son Santonio III has battled sickle cell anemia. … Is he an inspiration to you?
A: Kind of sort of, because we both were battling the same thing as kids. And now that I have the funds financially to assess all of his medical needs and attention, it’s different. It’s a lot easier for him than it was for me going through these same problems … missing school, just sick every day, don’t know what’s wrong because we didn’t have the funds to really provide me with medical attention, so … (it) kind of made it difficult for me as a kid, but that was one of the reasons when I found out that he had sickle cell at birth that I had to go do something, to make sure he didn’t go through what I went through as a kid.
Q: How’s he doing?
A: He’s wonderful now, man. He’s been through two blood transfusions in his life. He’s only 9, but he’s been strong, and he’s pushing through it. He wants to be active in sports, but he now understands what’s been going on and happening in his life, why everything is pushed back for him right now so, eventually, hopefully he’ll grow out of it and things will get better.
Q: Athletes in any sport you would pay to watch?
A: I would definitely pay to go see LeBron James and Kobe [Bryant] go at it. … I would like to see Tiger [Woods] at a match, and see what he’s like. … [Andy] Roddick, he’s one of the greats in the tennis world.
Q: Would you pay to watch Santonio Holmes play football?
A: No question (smile).
Q: Superstitions?
A: A certain way I dress before every game. Everything goes right foot, left foot. Right hand, left hand. Right arm, left arm.
Q: Hobbies?
A: Video games, to ease the mind away from work; bowling, I have my own bowling event coming up in November, The Scramble for Sickle Cell. … I like to spend a lot of time with the boys, man, just taking them out now that they’re older. I’m waiting on the girls to reach that age to where they feel comfortable with being with dad.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Will Smith.
Q: When you were a kid, did you want to be a basketball star?
A: No question. I broke my leg in seventh grade, and it shifted my attention to play another sport.
Q: Where?
A: Outside. It was during football season, wasn’t supposed to be playing.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: All of the “Friday” movies.
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Mark Wahlberg.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Angelina Jolie.
Q: Favorite entertainer?
A: Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: It’s always been mom’s pork chops and gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans.
Q: Favorite NYC things?
A: Taking the kids on the Brooklyn Bridge. … I think our next trip will be the Statue of Liberty. And even the World Trade Center, once it gets built.
Q: What was it like visiting Ground Zero this week?
A: It was life-changing. Just to know that all the work that’s being done from the ground up is why it’s called Ground Zero. The hard work that these guys put in 24 hours a day, and they only stop when it’s either storming or snowing.
Q: Where were you on 9/11?
A: Walking into my economics class. We turned on the TV and just … it kinda spooked everybody.
Q: What’s the Jets-Patriots rivalry going to be like this season?
A: I hope those guys in New England bring their “A” game, because the Jets are coming flying. In and out, in and out. Dropping bombs on these guys, and we’re ready to take over. We want it to be a clean sweep if possible, and I know that’s the attitude every guy on this team has.
Q: Regrets?
A: A whole lot. A whole lot. Just the decisions off the field I’ve made … the people that I’ve been around … just having the wrong people in my life. I really regret a lot of people that I’ve met in my life. I really wish I never met some of the people that I did. But, I’m thankful that I met them because it’s opened up a side that I don’t have to give to everybody anymore. And I felt like at some point I was so sheltered from not having a father around, to not tell anybody anything, to giving a few guys the green light, and they put a stop sign to it without any hesitation.