Rodney Alan Holman (born April 20, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...

for the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...

(1982–1992), and the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

(1993–1995) of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

(NFL).

Biography

Holman was born in

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, an ...

and graduated from Ypsilanti High School in 1978 where he starred on the football team and was an all-state wrestler. Before his NFL career, Holman played college football at

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pu ...

. Holman started all four of his seasons at Tulane, setting school records for receptions (135) and receiving yards (1,512) by a tight end. His 47 receptions in 1979 set a single season school record for catching by a tight end as well. In his four seasons on the team, The Green Wave posted a 26-20 record, and made it to consecutive Bowl games for the first time ever. Future NFL kicker

Eddie Murray Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie," is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth ...

was also a member of the team around that time. He was selected by the Bengals in the third round of the

1982 NFL Draft The 1982 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 27–28, 1982, at the New York S ...

. A 3-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

selection from 1988 to 1990, Holman's superb blocking and pass catching abilities were a great asset to his team, and assisted the Bengals to an NFL championship appearance in

Super Bowl XXIII Super Bowl XXIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) ch ...

. By the time he retired in 1996, Holman had played in 213 games, the second most games played by a tight end in NFL history behind

Pete Metzelaars Peter Henry Metzelaars (born May 24, 1960) is a former American football tight end who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions in a sixteen-year career in the National Football League. Following his pl ...

(234). In his 14 seasons, Holman amassed 365 receptions for 4,771 yards and 36

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Americ ...

s. As of 2005, Holman's 318 receptions with the Bengals are the most ever by a tight end in franchise history and ranks him as their 6th all-time leading receiver. After his NFL career ended, Holman served as an assistant

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

from 1998 to 1999.

Honors

Holman was inducted into the Tulane Hall Of Fame in 1990, and the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

Family life

Holman and his wife Sandra have two daughters, Rachael and Shayla. He is now retired and living in

Slidell, Louisiana Slidell is a city on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 28,781 at the 2020 census. It is part of the New Orleans− Metairie− Kenner metropolitan statistical area. Hi ...

. First cousin of Victor Holman, teacher at Livonia Franklin high school

References

External links

All-time leading Bengals receivers

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holman, Rodney 1960 births Living people Sportspeople from Ypsilanti, Michigan Players of American football from Michigan American football tight ends Tulane Green Wave football players Cincinnati Bengals players Detroit Lions players American Conference Pro Bowl players New Orleans Saints coaches People from Slidell, Louisiana Ed Block Courage Award recipients