Visit us online: www.itemonline.com

THE HuNTSVILLE ITEM$1.50sunday, February 2, 2014

Keep up with the community in the Item’s Best Bets: Pages 5A & 9A

Weather......................... 2a

opinion.......................... 4a

obituaries...................... 5a

sports.............................1B

Classified........................1C

index

high: 54 low: 36 With rain in the fore-cast and cooler tempera-tures again, it’s going to bea super day to stay insideand watch some football.

WeaTHeRSPortSGrAnd ChAmPIon

In Fort Worth Page 1B

Page 2A

BLack HiSToRy MonTH — HunTSviLLe’S RoBeRT HoLMeS

assoCiated PRess

huntsville’s Robert holmes (45) leads the way for Kansas City Chiefs running back mike Garrett (21) during super Bowl iv at tulane stadium in new orleans. Chiefs guard ed Budde (71) looks toblock a minnesota vikings defender after quarterback len dawson hands the ball to Garrett. a star at sam houston high school in huntsville, holmes had a short, but successful professional footballcareer. he still has the super Bowl ring he won with the Chiefs in 1970.

Super Bowl gloryBy cody stark

cstark@itemonline.com

Children across America dream ofSuper Bowl glory as they weave inbetween flower pots and scattered toyslying around the backyard with a footballtucked securely under their arm.

They envision ducking and dodgingmassive defensive linemen as they crossthe goal line for the game-winning touch-down. They run around screaming astheir make-believe teammates hoist themon their shoulders and carry them off thefield victorious before they collapsebreathlessly to the ground.

As the Seattle Seahawks and DenverBroncos get set to duke it out in today’sSuper Bowl XLVIII, there will be wide-

eyed youngsters in Huntsville with aspi-rations of someday playing in the biggame glued to the television. While theyknow the names of NFL stars such asPeyton Manning and Marshawn Lynch,they might not know that a guy who grewup in their hometown experienced thesweet taste of victory on football’s grand-est stage.

Robert “Tank” Holmes, a standoutrunning back at Huntsville’s SamHouston High School in the 1960s, was amember of the Kansas City Chiefs whenthey upset the Minnesota Vikings inSuper Bowl IV. Now 68, Holmes said hismemory of his biggest game is a littlefuzzy, but he remembers what it was like

tom Waddill/the huntsville item

huntsville’s jay Griffin, left, and morris johnson enjoy telling stories about Robert holmes, one ofGriffin’s former teammates and one of johnson’s former players at sam houston high school. likeit was yesterday, Griffin and johnson remember the 1963 state semifinal playoff game the tigersplayed at Pritchett Field in huntsville. “it was our own small super Bowl,” Griffin said.

the huntsville item

Folks, you have a few moredays to nominate someone forThe Huntsville Item’s 17th annu-

al Citizen of the Year Award. The Item extended the dead-

line for Citizen of the Year nomi-nations until Tuesday at 5 p.m.

“A number of our communi-ty’s most vibrant and active peo-ple have already been nominat-ed,” Item editor Tom Waddillsaid. “We’d like to see a fewmore nominations, though, sowe’re going to take letters untilclosing time Tuesday.”

The Citizen of the Year honorsan individual or individuals whohave made significant contribu-tions to the Huntsville andWalker County community.

The winner will be announcedat a reception in honor of thefinalists on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. inthe conference center at theHEARTS Veterans Museum.

Item extends Citizen of Year deadlineLetters and emailsmust be receivedby 5 p.m. Tuesday

See citizen, page 2A

Huntsville native Robert Holmesremembers winning the big game

See glory, page 6A

Page 2A

huntsville high school wrestlers pose with their awards after a success-ful day at the Class 4a regional tournament. thirteen hornets will beheading to the state Championships on Feb. 14-15 in Garland.

State-bound wrestlers joshua yates/

the huntsville item

2-02 editorial pages_layout 1 2/1/14 9:21 Pm Page 1

to be a world champion.“It was exciting to me to

be on such a great team,”Holmes said Friday overthe phone from his homein Belle Plaine,Saskatchewan. “Winningthe big game was goodstuff. At the time I didn’tgive it much thoughtbecause I wasn’t expectingto be with the Chiefs thatlong.”

Holmes, who grew up inthe old Saw Mill Quartersneighborhood nearBoettcher’s Mill, helpedguide the mighty SamHouston High SchoolTigers to the semifinals ofthe Prairie ViewInterscholastic Leaguestate playoffs in 1963. Hereceived a scholarship toSouthern University inBaton Rouge, La., and wasa 14th-round pick by theChiefs in the 1968American Football Leaguedraft.

Holmes, who had ashort, stocky frame duringhis playing days whichearned him his nickname,said he was thankful theChiefs gave him a chance.

“I was excited to go tothe Chiefs,” he said.“(Coach) Hank Stram wasshort like me, so it helpedme fit in around all thosebig guys.”

During his rookie sea-son in 1968, Holmesrushed for 866 yards andseven touchdowns. Thefollowing year, he rackedup 612 yards on the groundwith two scores as theChiefs went on to downthe Oakland Raiders in thefinal AFL ChampionshipGame. (The AFL and NFLmerged in 1970 to form themodern day NFL.)

The victory over theRaiders set up a showdownagainst the heavily favoredNFL champion Vikings inSuper Bowl IV in NewOrleans at Tulane Stadiumon Jan. 11, 1970. Holmeshad five carries for 7 yards

in the Chiefs’ 23-7 upset ofthe Vikings.

“I remember that peoplewere talking about howgood the Vikings were,”said Holmes, who was anAFL All-Star in 1969.“The people that knew theChiefs and our players,they weren’t surprised wewon.”

Morris Johnson, a long-time Huntsville educatorwho coached Holmes inhigh school, rememberswhat it was like watchinghis former student playingin the Super Bowl.

“I was screaming andhollering,” Johnson saidFriday with a chuckle. “Iwanted them to winbecause it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Jay Griffin, who playedhigh school ball withHolmes for three years,said he got a huge lift fromhis lifelong friend’s SuperBowl championship.

“I was in Vietnam at thetime and I remember beingvery excited that I had ahomeboy that made it thatbig,” Griffin said.

Holmes, who worked inconstruction following hisfootball career, says he stillhas his cherished SuperBowl ring. It’s tightlylocked away in a safetydeposit box. He takes it out

when the occasion calls forit.

“I have it locked up atthe bank,” he said with alaugh. “When I havesomewhere important togo, I go and get to show offa little. Then back it goesto the bank.”

‘no one wanted to tackle Dough’

Holmes said he does notremember much about hisdays in Huntsville becausea lot of years have comeand gone since then, butGriffin and Johnson stillhave plenty of stories.

Griffin said they calledHolmes “Dough Belly”growing up, but it wasn’tbecause his was tubby.

“He had a broad stom-ach and it was rippled withmuscle,” Griffin said. “Hehad big thighs and that waswhat made him such agood running back. Hewas powerful.”

Griffin said they playeda lot of sandlot footballback in those days whenyoung boys in Huntsvillewere not working sum-mer’s at Boettcher’s Mill.

Huntsville was split intodifferent communitiessuch as Saw Mill Quartersand the East End, andthose different neighbor-hoods would play each

other when they got thechance.

“Dough was always agood athlete and he wastough to tackle back inthose days,” Griffin said.“Nobody wanted to tackleDough.”

Holmes and his talentseventually made it to highschool. Johnson recallshow thick Holmes’ thighswere and how tough it wasfor opposing players tobring him down.

“We measured histhighs one time and theywere 30 inches,” Johnsonsaid. “He wasn’t very tall,but he had a low center ofgravity.”

Griffin, who was a yearbehind Holmes in school,said he made the varsitysquad at Sam HoustonHigh School because hefound a way to tackle hisbuddy.

“You had to hit himlow,” Griffin said. “If youhit him above the kneesyou would just bounce offof him. If you could tackleDough, you could tackleanyone.”

“He had ankles like abird,” Johnson joked.

Johnson was an assistantcoach at Sam HoustonHigh when Holmes and ahost of other talented play-

ers, including Griffin,made it to the state semifi-nals in 1963. The Tigersbecame the first black highschool to play at SamHouston State’s PritchettField when they facedGladewater Weldon.

“It was our own smallSuper Bowl,” Griffin said.“The whole town came outto watch that game.”

The Tigers lost 13-12,falling just short of reach-ing the state championshipgame. Johnson said theydecided to kick a field goalto win the game. The onlyproblem was they hadnever practiced kickingfield goals before.

Griffin said they shouldhave just given Holmes theball.

“I believe we wouldhave won that game if wewould have just handed theball off to Dough,” he said.

Griffin thinks the expo-sure of that game helpedget Holmes a scholarshipto Southern. Holmes cred-its his college days foropening the door to hisprofessional footballcareer.

“When I was growingup, I thought I was goingto be a Major LeagueBaseball player,” Holmessaid. “Baseball was mysport, I thought. Southernwas the only school thatsaid I could play baseballand football, so I chose togo there.

“I grew up working inthe sawmill and had all theskills to do that for a living.Southern offered me ascholarship and that gaveme a chance.”

Griffin said Holmes’athletic ability also helpedthose around him.

“I think he helped meand some others get schol-arships to Southern

because they saw we hadsome good players inHuntsville when they cameto watch him,” Griffinsaid.

Griffin pointed out thatHolmes never forgot hisfriends when his pro foot-ball career took off.

“When he signed hisfirst contract, he boughtme my first-ever Whoppersandwich,” Griffin said.“He also took me ridingaround in his new car, a’68 Riviera.”

the rest of the storyHolmes played with the

Chiefs until 1971 beforeheading back to Texas for atwo-year run with theHouston Oilers. He joinedthe San Diego Chargers’backfield in 1973 andended his NFL career in1975 following a secondstint with the Oilers.

When all was said anddone, Holmes had rushedfor 2,510 yards with 27touchdowns and caught113 passes for 982 yards inthe NFL.

Holmes’ pro footballcareer came to a closewhen he played for theS a s k a t c h e w a nRoughriders of theCanadian Football Leaguefor one season in 1976.

His dream might havebeen to make a name forhimself on the baseballdiamond, but Holmescould not be more proud ofthe way things turned out.After all, there are notmany people around whocan claim to have won aSuper Bowl.

And he has a bit ofadvice to kids out therewith their own dreams.

“Get your mind set onsomething, set a goal andwork hard to get there,”Holmes said.

Jan. 29-31

     • James Robert Harris isbeing held for possession of acontrolled substance.     • Stefanie Michelle Mohr isbeing held for tampering withphysical evidence, and pos-session of a controlled sub-stance.     • Christopher dion Brownis being held for theft of serv-ice, and theft of property.     • erick duane lee is beingheld for possession of mari-juana.     • Brian dustin Welch isbeing held for public intoxica-tion.     • Wendy Sue Robinson isbeing held for unauthorizeduse of  a vehicle, criminalmischief, and hinderingsecured creditors.     • Aousha latete Merchantis being held for possession ofmarijuana.     • Brandi Alexandria Clauchis being held for delivery ofmarijuana, and manual deliv-ery of a controlled substance.     • Reginal lamont James,Jr. is being held for drivingwhile intoxicated.     • Feliciano Flores is beingheld for possession of drugparaphernalia.     • Samuel Alan tucker isbeing held for obstruction, anddriving while intoxicated.     • Charlise Yvonne Pitre isbeing held for running a stopsign, and failure to appear.     • Brys Rhett Baggett isbeing held for driving whileintoxicated.     • Kayla Michelle Goodsonis being held for driving underthe influence, minor in posses-sion of alcohol, expired regis-tration, and expired inspection.     • Valuria Johnson Perry isbeing held for theft.     • Kevin Ray Ashley isbeing held for criminal non-support, driving while licenseinvalid, failure to changeaddress on driver's license,failure to appear.     • dana lee Ingram isbeing held for theft.     • Matthew lynn Cole isbeing held for possession of

marijuana, and possession ofdrug paraphernalia.     • Floyd Kennedy Archie isbeing held for failure to identifyfugitive, and criminal mischief.     • Plato August Splawn, Jr.is being held for capital mur-der of multiple persons.     • Xavier Rashad lee isbeing held on two counts ofaggravated assault with adeadly weapon.     • Michael Wayne Bruce isbeing held for unauthorizeduse of a vehicle.     • leonard Sharp is beingheld for unauthorized use of avehicle.     • luis Angel Gonzales isbeing held for possession of a

controlled substance, andpossession of marijuana.     • John davis Helbert isbeing held for public intoxica-tion.     • Stuart Bradley Finch isbeing held for driving whileintoxicated.     • Peter Allen Hartman isbeing held for evading arrest,and criminal nonsupport.     • Anthony Sanchez isbeing held for evading arrest,resisting arrest, possession ofa controlled substance, anddriving while intoxicated.     • Shaquala JaishawnWarren is being held for failureto yield right of way.

SuNdAY, FeBRuARY 2, 20146A tHe HuNtSVIlle IteM

Police RePoRtsWalker County SherIff'S offICe JaIl BookIngS report

gloryContinued from page 1A

ASSOCIAted PReSS

Kansas City Chiefs running back Robert Holmes, center, is tripped after a short gain by All-Starlinebacker Clyde Werner (37) from Washington at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 31, 1970. Actionis in the first half of the College All-Star game.

“I was screaming and hollering. I wanted them to win because it was

a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

MORRIS JOHNSON/Former assistant football coach at Huntsville’sSam Houston High School talking about watching Robert Holmes

help the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl IV in 1970

2-02 editorial pages_layout 1  2/1/14  9:23 PM  Page 5