Goodbye Priest
Yesterday, Priest Holmes announced that he was retiring from football. During last Sunday’s football game against the Colts he had a recurrence of some of the symptoms that knocked him out of football for two years, and it’s not safe for him to play any longer.
For anybody who doesn’t know Priest’s story, back in 2005 Priest was victim of a bad hit during a football game that caused him to tingles and sensations running down his arms and legs, among other things. I only know what I read in the papers, but I believe that there was concern that he could be paralyzed if he continued playing. He was cleared to play this summer, so he decided to attempt a comeback. It took him months to get back to playing shape, but he eventually returned to the Chiefs and even started two games.
This is only the latest chapter in Holmes’ story, though. He was injured in college and had to play behind Ricky Williams, so he wasn’t drafted. He overcame those problems, making his way onto the Baltimore Ravens and eventually became a 1,000 yard rusher. The Ravens drafted a younger, stronger running back the next year, pushing Priest to second-string. He overcame that, leaving Baltimore to join the Kansas City Chiefs. Though he started his first year in KC as a backup, by the third game was the starter and led the NFL in rushing by the end of the year. He was one of the top running backs for a couple years before he suffering a devastating hip injury. He overcame that, coming back and setting a NFL record for rushing touchdowns in a year. About a year later he suffered a horrible spinal injury that kept him out until this current chapter.
It’s all of this that has made Priest Holmes one of my favorite athletes. If you look at his history, you’ll an individual working to overcome every obstacle that is placed in his path to reach his goal, and you’ll see a success. It to watch him score so many touchdowns for my favorite team, but knowing everything he went through to do made me admire him. He is a great example to follow, even for those who have no interest in football.
