Tulsa World: Up close: Lendy Holmes

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Up close: Lendy Holmes

Lendy Holmes takes down Washington's David Freeman on Sept. 13. Holmes was playing receiver the last time TCU — OU's foe this week — came to Norman. The Horned Frogs upset the Sooners 17-10. Tom Gilbert/Tulsa World

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 9/25/2008 2:11 AM
Last Modified: 9/25/2008 3:17 AM

NORMAN — The last time TCU played at Oklahoma, Lendy Holmes was a Sooner wide receiver. It didn't go really well.

Paul Thompson threw him three passes and missed every time. Rhett Bomar underthrew him over the middle. The only balls Holmes gathered came on special teams. He returned the second-half kickoff 3 yards, and a fourth-quarter punt 6.

It was Holmes' first collegiate game, and he lost 17-10.

"Everybody was quiet, like a ghost town," he said of OU's postgame locker room. "There wasn't too much to say."

Three years later, things have changed considerably.

Holmes now plays defense — he is the Sooners' starting free safety — and makes a much bigger impact on game day. He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference cornerback in 2006, picked off three passes as OU's nickel safety in '07', and comes into Saturday night's TCU rematch with 16 tackles and another interception this season.

Meanwhile, the Sooners haven't lost a home game since that '05 opener against the Horned Frogs.

Holmes' versatility has played a major role in OU's success since. He is athletic enough to have played several different positions in football, and to have given serious consideration to joining the shorthanded Sooner basketball team two years ago.

You grew up playing as much basketball as football. Why did you pursue football?

I liked being more physical. Basketball is physical, just not as much as football.

How much basketball are you playing these days?

I try to play every now and then to keep my game right. Just in case somebody calls me out, I'll be ready. I shoot around.

Sam Bradford is supposedly the football team's best basketball player. You gone one-on-one with him?

No, I don't think Sam wants to play me one-on-one. If he wants to play, I'll play, but I don't think he wants any part of me. He played against our (Dallas) AAU team once, a younger group. He wasn't on the old group. He beat them. I keep saying, 'You come up to the old group, you've got some problems.'

When is the last time you dunked?

Over the summer. I kept it simple. It was a fast break and I dunked on somebody in the post. Two hands.

You don't look like you weigh enough to have busted any backboards.

What? I'm a power dunker, man. I've broken rims. I've broken a couple of them.

Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com

HOLMES FACTS

Position: Free safety

Class: Senior

Height: 6-1

Weight: 201

Hometown: Dallas

By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer

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