Rodney Alan Holman (born April 20, 1960) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who was a

tight end The tight end (TE) is an offense (sports), offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver (football), receiv ...

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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

(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) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

(1993–1995) of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL).

Biography

Holman was born in

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's popu ...

and graduated from

Ypsilanti High School Ypsilanti High School (YHS) is a public school located in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. () Ypsilanti High School (or 'Ypsi High,' as many people referred to it), is a comprehensive high school serving 9–12th grades, located on the western edge ...

in 1978 where he starred on the football team and was an all-state wrestler. Before his NFL career, Holman played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...

. 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 Sh ...

. A 3-time

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

selection from 1988 to 1990, Holman's superb blocking and pass catching abilities were a great asset to his team, and helped lead the Bengals to an AFC Championship and 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) champ ...

. 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 an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, the Carolina Panthers and the D ...

(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. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

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 * Coac ...

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 National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...

from 1998 to 1999.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

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, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 28,781 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the sixteenth-most ...

References

External links

All-time leading Bengals receivers

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holman, Rodney 1960 births Living people Players of American football from Ypsilanti, 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 Sportspeople from Slidell, Louisiana Players of American football from St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana