From Super Bowl MVP to Sideline Strategist: How Santonio Holmes Plans to Revolutionize Central State’s Offense

There’s something undeniably magnetic about football legends who find their way back to the gridiron — but this time, from the sidelines. Santonio Holmes, whose name still echoes in NFL lore thanks to that unforgettable Super Bowl XLIII moment, is stepping back into the world of football coaching after more than ten years away from the pro game. Now, he’s channeling all that wisdom and experience into nurturing talent as the new receivers coach at Central State University in Ohio—a school with a proud tradition of producing NFL standouts. Holmes’s journey from an Ohio State first-round pick to that iconic game-winning catch, to a varied NFL career that stretched across New York and Chicago, adds layers of insight he’ll no doubt share with the next generation. And he’s not alone—Holmes is joining forces with Tony Carter, another NFL alum with his own story to tell. There’s a palpable excitement brewing at Central State, where past NFL success meets future potential. You want the full story? LEARN MORE

Central State has produced 21 NFL players, including Orlando Brown, Hugh Douglas, and Erik Williams.His best season came the next year, when he caught 79 passes for 1,248 yards. He signed with the Jets as a free agent in 2010. He spent four so-so seasons in New York before finishing his career in 2014 in Chicago.Holmes is the new receivers coach at Central State University in Ohio.Super Bowl XLIII MVP Santonio Holmes is back in football, more than a decade after his NFL career ended.A first-round pick from Ohio State in 2006, Holmes capped his third NFL season with a game-winning catch in the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl win.At Central State, Holmes joins the staff of former NFL cornerback Tony Carter, who played for the Broncos, Patriots, Colts, and Saints. Carter was hired earlier this year.