Steelers' Santonio Holmes Is More Than 1 Unbelievable Catch; "Doesn't Get Enough Respect" In Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Steelers lore is full of immediately recognizable wide receivers. Players like Lynn Swann, Hines Ward and Antonio Brown are just a few that come to mind. Other receivers from the Steel City, however, also had notable impacts, but live in the shadows of their more popular teammates. That seems to be exactly what happened to Santonio Holmes. 

Holmes spent only four years with the Steelers, but, when you think of Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals, two plays immediately come to mind, one of which is Holmes' incredible toe-tap catch in the end zone. 

That catch, made in the game's waning seconds, was breathtaking. The Cardinals had just mounted a comeback then led to the Steelers forfeiting the lead. Holmes' score won the Steelers the franchise's sixth Super Bowl Title. Despite all of that, his former teammate, Ramon Foster, doesn't believe he gets the recognition he deserves. 

Foster, who now co-hosts The Ramon Foster Show on DK Pittsburgh Sports with reporter Dejan Kovacevic, only got to spend a single season with Holmes before the receiver was traded. In a recent episode, Foster told Kovacevic that he always believed that Holmes was under-appreciated. Kovacevic agreed, saying people only remember that catch, but Holmes was a reliable, productive player. 

"It was too quick," Foster said, referring to Holmes' short tenure with the team. "No, he doesn't get enough respect. It was so quick, ended so abruptly, and when he went to the Jets. He didn't have a quarterback situation that helped him continue on what his greatness could have been."

Holmes was named Super Bowl MVP and seemed poised to be on the brink of greatness. However, Holmes had ongoing legal troubles, including domestic violence accusations and being caught with marijuana. 

Head Coach Mike Tomlin had enough and the Steelers traded him to the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick, later converted into a sixth-round pick used to draft Brown. Foster said Holmes was a larger-than-life figure in the locker room. 

"By the time I got drafted in '09, 'Tone was going on four years. 'Tone has more legendary stories of just his play, his attitude, his approach to the game... 'Tone said a pregame speech one time right before the Super Bowl, 'Tone was like, 'Man, I won a high school championship, I won a Natty Championship, and all I got left is to win a Super Bowl!' He played a huge part, just the calmness and arrogance, but he wants it too."

Holmes' story could have and probably should have had a better ending. He spent a few years with the Jets and then half a year with the Chicago Bears before being waived. Holmes had used his Super Bowl platform to try to reach at-risk youth. 

He shared that he'd grown up in an impoverished part of town and that he had to sell drugs to survive. It was a challenge for Holmes to leave behind that life and the people who were a part of it. 

Steelers' Other Incredible Super Bowl XLIII Play

As Kovacevic pointed out, Holmes did not have the only incredible play during that win over the Cardinals. James Harrison saw the stars align for him as he ran the ball for a touchdown, 100 yards, the field's length. Harrison loves to tell the story to anyone who listens; he says that when they lined up near the goal line, he was sure Kurt Warner felt solid about his chance for them to score. 

Harrison could read his eyes and snatched the ball before the receiver could. His teammates didn't seem confident that this giant linebacker could run the ball back and tried to get him to hand it off, but Harrison knew better. He started to run and everyone on the team threw blocks for him. He dropped to the ground when he scored and famously told Tomlin, "I'm tired, boss."

Do you remember Holmes? Do you think he gets enough credit from Steelers fans? Why or why not? Does Ward just overshadow him? What did you think when the Steelers traded him? Click to comment below. 

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