Ernie Holmes, member of 'Steel Curtain', dies at 59
Associated Press


Updated: January 18, 2008, 4:03 PM ET
DALLAS -- Ernie Holmes, who won two Super Bowls as an anchor of Pittsburgh's
famed "Steel Curtain" defense in the 1970s, died in a car crash. He was 59.




Holmes was driving alone Thursday night when his car left the road and
rolled several times near Lumberton, about 80 miles from Houston, a Texas
Department of Public Safety dispatcher said Friday.


He was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the car, and pronounced
dead at the scene, the department said.



Holmes, an ordained minister, lived on a ranch in Wiergate.



The two-time All-Pro played for the Steelers from 1972-77 and spent part of
the 1978 season with New England before retiring. He played on a defensive
line with Steel Curtain teammates "Mean" Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood and
Dwight White.



The group stayed in touch, getting together at least three or four times a
year, Holmes said last year in a story on the Steelers' Web site.



"Ernie was one of the toughest players to ever wear a Steelers uniform,"
Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said in a statement. "He was a key member of
our famous Steel Curtain defense, and many people who played against him
considered Ernie almost impossible to block. At his best, he was an
intimidating player who even the toughest of opponents did not want to play
against."



Holmes was part of a front four in the 1975 Super Bowl that helped limit
Minnesota to 17 yards rushing and 119 total yards. The Steelers won their
first Super Bowl, 16-6. They were back a year later, beating Dallas 21-17 in
the title game.



"He was devastating and would just destroy the opponent across from him,"
said former Steeler teammate Andy Russell, a linebacker. "Sometimes I had to
remind him to tackle the guy with the pigskin. He was a brilliant player. He
played all with his heart."

Holmes had a reputation for being "stone crazy," he told Time magazine in
1975. That came mostly from a case early in his career when he pleaded
guilty to assault with a deadly weapon following a bizarre episode in which
he fired a pistol at trucks and a police helicopter. He was sentenced to
five years' probation.



Holmes was nicknamed "Fats" for most of his life. He also was nicknamed
"Arrowhead Holmes" in 1974 when he shaved his head, leaving only an
arrow-shaped pattern of hair on his skull.



Holmes, who was about 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds during his career, also told
the magazine he was attracted to the violence of football.



"I don't mind knocking somebody out," Holmes said. "If I hear a moan and a
groan coming from a player I've hit, the adrenaline flows within me. I get
more energy and play harder."



After football, Holmes had minor acting roles. He appeared in an episode of
the 1980s TV show "The A-Team" and dabbled in professional wrestling.



Holmes tried to live a calmer life in later years, settling on a ranch on
the southeast border of Texas, where he had a church and was an ordained
minister. He told the Steelers he was a more "spiritual being."



"Ernie seemed to be doing well in recent years and was always one of our
most popular players whenever he returned to Pittsburgh for team events,"
Rooney said. "Our prayers go out to Ernie's family and loved ones. He will
be missed by the entire Steelers family."

White, his Steel Curtain teammate on the defensive line, said he was in
"deep grief" Friday.

"Ernie was a very colorful person that you couldn't help but like off the
football field -- a little different on the field as we well know," White
said. "Ernie had gotten into the ministry and ... was a true inspiration to
Joe, L.C., and myself when we were together. You know, it's all about where
you end up, and Ernie blossomed into an individual that I respected, admired
and will miss."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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