Darnay Holmes shares advice from NFL legends on 'GMFB'
Heading into his rookie season, Darnay Holmes had plenty of football influences to lean on. His father, Darick, was a running back in the NFL for 4+ years, while his older brother, Darick Jr., was a wide receiver at the University of Arizona.
But unlike most rookies around the league, Holmes also had a few Pro Football Hall of Famers he could turn to for advice.
Holmes joined NFL Network's 'Good Morning Football' to discuss the advice he received from Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson and Aeneas Williams heading into his first season in professional football.
"The game of football puts you around so many great people," Holmes told the 'GMFB' crew. "I met Deion Sanders when I was in the 10th grade. I was a young guy coming from California to the southwest, and I came to his camp. I was able to really just soak in all of the knowledge that he gave. The best thing I learned from Deion is just really feel yourself. Understand who you are. Really know that you're greater than you think you are.
"Rod Woodson, the biggest thing I got from him is really just how you manage your money. We were talking at the Combine, he was saying that you have to understand that you're not an ATM. If you do become an ATM, you're going to become a well without any water. That hit home. That hit home very well because I come from a family where my dad was at a point in time, he was doing good. He didn't manage his money too well. I learned that lesson from him, and my plan is to not make that mistake.
"Mr. Williams, he's just a man of faith. I love that guy. He's a man of faith and he instills so many gems in me each and every day. I always lean upon these three guys for sure."
Holmes attended Sanders' Prime21 camp in 2015, where he ended up taking home the DB MVP award. He met Williams back in 2016, when the Hall of Famer served as his coach at Nike's The Opening, and the two worked together again last year at the 2020 Senior Bowl. Holmes met Woodson through UCLA defensive back Quentin Lake, the son of former Steelers teammate Carnell Lake.
In his first NFL season, Holmes played in 12 games (five starts) and finished with 30 tackles (23 solo), 0.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, one interception, five passes defensed and one fumble recovery.
Free Agency Guide: Pending Giants free agents, top 101 available, key dates
The first game of the 2021 season won't kick off until September, but the new league year is days away.
Starting Monday, clubs are permitted to contact -- and enter into contract negotiations with -- the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2020 player contracts. They cannot sign until the start of the new league year, which begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 17.
Below is a look at which Giants are set to become free agents:
Unrestricted Free Agents:
- DB Adrian Colbert
- S Nate Ebner
- LB Kyler Fackrell
- OT Cameron Fleming
- RB Wayne Gallman
- DL Austin Johnson
- LS Casey Kreiter
- RB Dion Lewis
- QB Colt McCoy
- RB Alfred Morris
- C Spencer Pulley
- LB Jabaal Sheard
- DL Dalvin Tomlinson
- DL Leonard Williams (UPDATE: Giants placed franchise tag on Williams for second consecutive year.)
Restricted Free Agents:
- WR C.J. Board
- LB Devante Downs
View NFL.com's updated rankings of the top 101 free agents of 2021 ahead of the new league year, which begins March 17.
No. 101 QB Mitchell Trubisky
No. 100 EDGE Everson Griffen
No. 99 DT Al-Quadin Muhammad
No. 98 CB Chidobe Awuzie (Update: The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed to a deal with Awuzie.)
No. 97 EDGE Kerry Hyder
No. 96 WR Breshad Perriman
No. 95 RB James White
No. 94 DT Kawann Short
No. 93 RB James Conner
No. 92 S Kareem Jackson
No. 91 TE Dan Arnold
No. 90 DT Lawrence Guy
No. 89 WR Emmanuel Sanders
No. 88 CB Troy Hill
No. 87 S Malik Hooker
No. 86 EDGE Takkarist McKinley (The Cleveland Browns have reportedly agreed to a deal with McKinley.)
No. 85 G Kyle Long
No. 84 CB Casey Hayward Jr.
No. 83 CB Quinton Dunbar
No. 82 NT Tyson Alualu Update: The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a deal with Alualu.)
No. 81 DE Derek Wolfe (Update: The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a three-year deal with Wolfe.)
No. 80 OT Kelvin Beachum (Update: The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a two-year deal with Beachum).
No. 79 RB Marlon Mack
No. 78 CB Bashaud Breeland
No. 77 QB Tyrod Taylor
No. 76 EDGE Aldon Smith
No. 75 DB Desmond King II
No. 74 OT Alejandro Villanueva
No. 73 RB Duke Johnson
No. 72 TE Gerald Everett
No. 71 OT Riley Reiff
No. 70 S Keanu Neal
No. 69 DT Sheldon Rankins
No. 68 WR Cordarrelle Patterson
No. 67 C Austin Reiter
No. 66 S Xavier Woods
No. 65 LB Kyle Van Noy
No. 64 DT Ndamukong Suh
No. 63 DT Larry Ogunjobi
No. 62 CB Patrick Peterson
No. 61 RB Kenyan Drake
No. 60 CB K'Waun Williams
No. 59 S Jaquiski Tartt
No. 58 NT DaQuan Jones
No. 57 CB Janoris Jenkins
No. 56 WR Antonio Brown
No. 55 QB Jacoby Brissett
No. 54 CB Michael Davis (Update: The Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to a multi-year deal with Davis.)
No. 53 CB Xavier Rhodes
No. 52 WR Sammy Watkins
No. 51 CB Richard Sherman
No. 50 DE Denico Autry
No. 49 WR Marvin Jones (Update: The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a deal with Jones.)
No. 48 WR John Brown
No. 47 CB Malcolm Butler
No. 46 WR Nelson Agholor (Update: The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a deal with Agholor.)
No. 45 TE Rob Gronkowski
No. 44 LB K.J. Wright
No. 43 OT Eric Fisher
No. 42 RB Chris Carson
No. 41 EDGE Melvin Ingram
No. 40 CB Mike Hilton (Update: The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed to a deal with Hilton.)
No. 39 S Anthony Harris
No. 38 C David Andrews
No. 37 QB Andy Dalton
No. 36 CB Adoree' Jackson
No. 35 EDGE Carlos Dunlap
No. 34 WR T.Y. Hilton
No. 33 CB Ronald Darby (Update: The Denver Broncos have reportedly agreed to a deal with Darby.)
No. 32 CB Jason Verrett
No. 31 LB Jayon Brown
No. 30 EDGE Haason Reddick
No. 29 EDGE Justin Houston
No. 28 C Rodney Hudson
No. 27 DE Shelby Harris (Update: The Denver Broncos have agreed to a three-year deal with Harris.)
No. 26 OT Mitchell Schwartz
No. 25 CB William Jackson (Update: The Washington Football Team has agreed to terms with Jackson.)
No. 24 EDGE Leonard Floyd (Update: The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a four-year deal with Floyd.)
No. 23 S John Johnson (Update: The Cleveland Browns have reportedly agreed to a deal with Johnson.)
No. 22 DL Dalvin Tomlinson (The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a deal with Tomlinson.)
No. 21 WR Corey Davis (Update: The New York Jets have reportedly agreed to a deal with Davis.)
No. 20 EDGE Romeo Okwara (Update: The Detroit Lions have signed Okwara to a multi-year deal.)
No. 19 QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Update: The Washington Football Team have reportedly agreed to a deal with Fitzpatrick.)
No. 18 CB Shaquill Griffin (Update: The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a deal with Griffin.)
No. 17 TE Hunter Henry (Update: The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a deal with Henry.)
No. 16 TE Jonnu Smith (Update: The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a deal with Smith.)
No. 15 WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
No. 14 WR Curtis Samuel
No. 13 QB Jameis Winston (Update: The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a one-year contract with Winston.)
No. 12 WR Will Fuller
No. 11 EDGE Yannick Ngakoue
No. 10 C Corey Linsley
No. 9 EDGE Matt Judon (Update: The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a deal with Judon.)
No. 8 G Joe Thuney
No. 7 EDGE Jadeveon Clowney
No. 6 WR Kenny Golladay
No. 5 EDGE Carl Lawson (Update: The New York Jets have reportedly agreed to a deal with Lawson.)
No. 4 EDGE Trey Hendrickson (Update: The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed to a deal with Hendrickson.)
No. 3 EDGE Bud Dupree
No. 2 EDGE Shaquil Barrett (Update: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed Barrett to a multi-year deal.)
No. 1 OT Trent Williams
Highlights & takeaways from first week of pro days
Watch the video below to view John Schmeelk and Paul Dottino wrap up the week of pro days ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft.
