SHOF – Walter Holman, Football
Vaiden native Walter Holman will be inducted into the Holmes Community College Sports Hall of Fame on April 11 at Frank Branch Coliseum in Goodman. He lettered in two sports while at Holmes: football, under Coach Quinby Morgan, and track and field under Ode Burrell.
“I appreciate the instructors and coaches during my studies at Holmes because they taught me not only good sportsmanship but a trade that allowed me to further my life after football in the construction industry,” Holman said.
In 1979, Holman was awarded All-State and Best Offensive Back by the Mississippi Junior College Association.
After Holmes, Holman went on to play at West Virginia State University (WVSU) from 1980-83. He was awarded the Sportsmanship Award and became captain of the team in 1982. In that season, Holman received Second Team All-Conference and received the title of “Best Offensive Player” of the Homecoming game by the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Holman was on the conference championship track team at WVSU in 1982 throwing the shot-put, discus and javelin. He was inducted into the WVSU Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 for football.
Holman signed with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns in 1983. He also played for the USFL’s Pittsburgh Maulers and the Tampa Bay Bandits during his professional football career and was a part of the 1987 Super Bowl-winning Washington Redskins team for the NFL.
After winning the Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins, he went to play arena football (1988) for the Detroit Drive which was the winningest team for that year and he was selected as First Team All-Arena.
The character #34 RB Walter Cochran from the 2000 film “The Replacements” was based loosely on Holman who was playing for the Washing Redskins at the time.
Holman and his wife, Velma, live in Southfield, Michigan, and have five children: Johnette (48), Dana (42), Jonathan (41) Walter (40) and Brittany (37).
Alumni, family and friends will be invited to the banquet. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online in advance:
https://holmesccalumni.360alumni.com/events/view/10547
For more details on the banquet please contact the Holmes Alumni Office: kellard@holmescc.edu and 662-472-9134
