What made Holmes so good?
Holmes was one of those players that went all in on every play. He perhaps was every bit as good as Greene, though he never got the recognition. Although some teammates acknowledged this, he hit every bit as hard as Joe Greene. Reggie Harrison shared some stories on Ernie Holmes. Someone asked him who hit harder, Greene or Holmes? He responded, “it depends on whether you prefer to take Advil or Tylenol after being hit because you had a headache no matter which one hit you.”
Whereas Dwight White had a vicious head slap, Holmes would play low and put his helmet into the opponent's chin, knocking them off balance. Mike Wagner quipped, “I think he wanted to beat people to death—within the rules of the game.” In practices, the veteran offensive lineman had to ask Holmes to slow down to avoid injuries. That’s how intense he was both in practice and in games. If he didn’t come out on top on every snap, he felt that could jeopardize his career.
He was the type of player who was never going to be outdone when he stepped on the field. When they go on the field, some players dig deep inside to find motivation, but Holmes dug deeper than most to find the ferocity he had stepping on the field.