Torry Jabar Holt (born June 5, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and retired with the 10th most receiving yards, including a record six consecutive seasons with 1,300 yards. He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft, and spent the next ten years with the Rams and is remembered as one of the members of "The Greatest Show on Turf".
Contents
Early life
Holt grew up in Gibsonville, North Carolina. He was Prep Football Report All-America selection, adding all-state honors at Eastern Guilford High School in Gibsonville. While there, he caught 129 passes during his career, gaining 2,573 yards and scoring 42 touchdowns including 56 receptions for 983 yards and 17 touchdowns as senior. He also returned three punts and three kickoffs for touchdowns during his career. Additionally, Holt was a standout defensive back who posted 62 tackles and four interceptions as senior. He was named one of the Top 25 players in the state by the Charlotte Observer. After high school, Holt attended Hargrave Military Academy in 1995. There he caught 21 passes for 524 yards and six touchdowns.
College career
Holt attended North Carolina State University, and played wide receiver for the NC State Wolfpack football team from 1995 to 1998. In his senior year, Holt was named Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year. That season, he set ACC records of 88 receptions (since broken by Kenneth Moore of Wake Forest) for 1,604 yards and an NC State record of 16 touchdown receptions. Holt was a consensus first-team All-American as senior. He was also a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top receiver. As a junior, he led the team, setting Wolfpack season records with 62 receptions for 1,099 yards, topping marks of 55 by Naz Worthen (1988) while becoming the first player in team history to gain more than 1,000 yards in a season. He started in five of the first seven games as sophomore. He majored in sociology. Holt's number, 81, was retired in 1999.
Professional career
Pre-draft
After injuring his knee at the Senior Bowl, Holt, at 192 pounds, ran a 4.44 second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 37 inches at the 1999 NFL Combine
St. Louis Rams
Holt was the sixth overall draft pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft and the first selection made by the St. Louis Rams. On July 23, 1999, Holt signed a five-year, $10 million contract, including a $5.4 million signing bonus, with the Rams. In his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 1999 season, he scored a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in a 27–10 win. In Week 12, against the New Orleans Saints, he had two touchdown receptions in the 43–12 win. In Week 14, he had six receptions for 113 yards in a 30–14 win over the Saints. In Week 17, he had five receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns in a 38–31 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In his rookie season, he posted 52 receptions, 788 total yards and six touchdowns on the way to the Super Bowl XXXIV championship. In the Super Bowl, he had seven receptions for 109 yards and a third-quarter touchdown in the 23–16 win over the Tennessee Titans. He was name to the PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team.
Holt started the 2000 season with back-to-back games with over 100 receiving yards. In Week 4, he had three receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns in a 41–20 win over the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 10, he had four receptions for 130 yards in a 27–24 loss to the Carolina Panthers. In Week 12, against Washington, he had four receptions for 125 yards in a 33–20 loss. In Week 15, against the Minnesota Vikings, he had nine receptions for 172 yards in a 40–29 win. In Week 16, a road 38–35 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had nine receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown. In the 2000 season, Holt finished with 82 receptions for 1,635 yards and six touchdowns. Holt received Pro Bowl honors for the first time for his performance in the 2000 season.
In Week 11 of the 2001 season, Holt had eight receptions for 139 yards in the 24–17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Week 16, a 42–17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, he had seven receptions for 203 yards and two touchdowns. In the 2001 season, he finished with 81 receptions for 1,363 yards and seven touchdowns. He received Pro Bowl honors for the 2001 season. From 1999 to 2001, the Rams scored over 500 points each season, and their offense was dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf".
Holt came into the NFL as #88, but in 2002 changed his number to 81 (worn by Az-Zahir Hakim previously). In Week 3 of the 2002 season, he had 12 receptions for 139 yards in a 26–14 road loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Week 15, a 30–28 win over the Arizona Cardinals, he had seven receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. He finished the 2002 season with 91 receptions for 1,302 yards and four touchdowns.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Holt was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars on April 20, 2009, to a 3-year, $20 million deal. In Week 6, a 23–20 overtime win against his former team, Holt had five receptions for 101 yards against the Rams. Holt had 51 catches and 722 receiving yards. Holt was released by the team on February 11, 2010, and only earned $3.45 million of the $20 million contract.
Injuries and retirement
On April 20, 2010, Holt signed a one-year, $1.7 million contract with the New England Patriots, but was placed on injured reserve on August 15, 2010, as a result of a knee injury that required surgery and was released by the team on August 17, 2010, with an injury settlement.
On April 4, 2012, Holt signed a ceremonial contract with the St. Louis Rams to retire with the team. He retired from professional football ranked 10th in league history with 13,382 yards receiving and 13th with 920 receptions.
Hall of Fame voting
As of 2024, Holt has been eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for ten years in a row. He has made it to the semifinalist stage every year and has even been a finalist for five years in a row.
Career statistics
Career highlights
Awards and honors
NFL
Super Bowl champion (XXXIV)
First-team All-Pro (2003)
Second-team All-Pro (2006)
7× Pro Bowl (2000, 2001, 2003–2007)
2× NFL receiving yards leader (2000, 2003)
NFL receptions leader (2003)
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
PFWA All-Rookie Team (1999)
College
Consensus All-American (1998)
ACC Player of the Year (1998)
ACC Offensive Player of the Year (1998)
2× First-team All-ACC (1997, 1998)
NC State Wolfpack No. 81 retired
Other
North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
NFL records
Consecutive seasons with at least 1,300 yards receiving (6) (2000–2005 seasons)
Consecutive seasons with 90+ receptions (6) (2002–2007 seasons)
Seasons with 1,600 yards receiving (2, tied with Marvin Harrison, Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, Calvin Johnson, Justin Jefferson and, Tyreek Hill)
Highest average gain, game (3 receptions +), 63.00, September 24, 2000
Receptions in a single decade (868, 2000–2009)
Receiving yards in a single decade (12,594, 2000–2009)
Post-playing career
On November 20, 2010, during the Raycom Sports broadcast of the annual NCSU game with UNC-Chapel Hill, sideline reporter Mike Hogewood prefaced an interview with Holt stating that he had retired. Holt has since gotten into broadcasting with Fox Sports, providing commentary for their NFL coverage.
Holt joined NFL Network in 2010 as an analyst on the network's signature show, NFL Total Access, as well as other NFL Network shows and specials. He made his debut as an analyst on the NFL Total Access: Pro Bowl Selection Show on December 28, 2010.
He is the older brother of safety Terrence Holt. The brothers co-own Holt Brothers, Inc..
Beginning in 2015, Holt became Heritage High School's (NC) assistant football coach and wide receiver's coach, along with former NFL players Dewayne Washington and Willie Parker.