Roanoke Times Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: TUESDAY, July 13, 1993 TAG: 9307130067 SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia football standout Larry Holmes knew exactly what he was doing when he failed to submit a summer-school paper, causing him to lose his eligibility.
"I was at a point where I decided school wasn't for me," said Holmes, making his first public comments since missing the 1992 season. "I was young and immature. It was irrational, but you couldn't tell me anything."
Holmes' academic problems sidelined him at a time when his career looked most promising. After starting the first two games of the 1991 season at cornerback, he moved to wide receiver and went on to lead the ACC with eight touchdown catches.
"Football is what kept me going," Holmes said, "but I had been going to school and playing sports for six, seven [or] eight years without a break. That's a lot on one's shoulders. Instead of buckling down, I took the easy way out.
"It was something I had been thinking about for a long time and the pressures of summer school didn't help at all. I was taking a course I didn't have to have but I couldn't afford to fail. I understood the consequences."
Holmes hadn't been away from football or school for long before he realized his mistake. Regaining his eligibility was another matter.
UVa was prepared to accept him for summer school; however, new NCAA legislation required a student-athlete to earn 75 percent of his or her credits during the regular session.
There was a wait of almost six months from the time UVa petitioned the NCAA for a waiver until it was granted.
"There's always a slight chance things might not go your way," Holmes said, "but, in my case, the new rule would have penalized me twice. The people here felt, even if the waiver wasn't approved, that I would win an appeal."
Although he has received the waiver, Holmes still must pass three courses this summer to regain his eligibility. He views that as little more than a formality.
"I'm sure, positive, 100 percent certain I'll be here next season," Holmes said.
During his sabbatical Holmes did some coaching at his old high school, St. Albans in Washington, D.C., and tried to stay in shape for football. Mostly, though, he tried to clear his head.
"It had to be something I wanted to do, instead of what I was expected to do," Holmes said of going back to school. "It was a matter of maturing and experiencing something for myself. I decided over the course of a year that school was something I would need in the long run."
Holmes was not redshirted as a freshman, so he returns to UVa with two years of eligibility. Coach George Welsh has said he doesn't want Holmes to return unless he is serious about continuing his schooling.
"The best way I can [respond to] that is, I'm taking one year at a time," Holmes said. "If I have a great year and get some exceptional breaks, who knows? I would expect to have to play both years to get to the next level."
Holmes, a 5-foot-9, 170-pounder, did not have a reception as a freshman in 1990 but made an early impact as a return specialist.
"Hopefully, I can contribute in a lot of different ways - mainly, hopefully, at the line of scrimmage," he said.
Holmes said he expects to begin preseason practice at the bottom of the depth chart. His place in the starting lineup was taken by Petey Allen, a freshman. Allen also took Holmes' old No. 20, although Allen reportedly has asked for the No. 2 worn by senior Terrence Tomlin.
Holmes stressed that he does not hold anybody at Virginia accountable for his actions and seemed contrite about any problems he might have caused the Cavaliers. The team won its first five games, then blew a 27-point lead before losing to Clemson 28-27. The Cavs finished 7-4.
Holmes said he watched the Clemson-UVa game on television and wondered if he could have made a difference.
"It's hard to say what could have been, but I would like to think I could have made a difference," he said. "In a situation where it's 28-0, I'm the kind of guy who's going to kick you while you were down. Maybe, if I was out there, some of that would have rubbed off."
by CNB