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'Long way to go'


bengaldee

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stealers excited to see first-rounder Holmes in lineup si.com
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -- He sat out a practice because of a sore hamstring. He was introduced to the NFL by being tackled -- and hard -- by cornerback Bryant McFadden during a supposedly non-contact practice.

He also dropped a couple of passes and several punts during a sloppy pissburgh stealers practice that didn't please coach Bill Cowher.

A bad opening week of camp for first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes, the former Ohio State star receiver who couldn't seem to keep himself out of trouble after being drafted in April?

Not at all.

There were missteps and missed plays, and some incorrect pass routes that were quickly corrected by Super Bowl MVP wines hard, who has become Holmes' training camp mentor. But the stealers weren't disappointed with Holmes, who figures to play an important role this season now that former starting receiver Antwaan Randle El is with the Redskins.

Since the stealers began practicing July 30, Holmes has repeatedly flashed the speed that helped him catch 53 passes for 977 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Buckeyes last season. Several times, he beat the cornerback covering him off the line of scrimmage, leading to a wide-open catch or an obvious pass interference.

And a few hours after that practice in which he repeatedly dropped the ball, Holmes made two excellent catches during an evening scrimmage -- one with three defenders near him and another near the end-zone pylon that was just short of a touchdown.

"I was very pleased," offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said of Holmes' first week. "He was what we thought he would be as far as having good hands, explosive speed and a good route runner."

That's the side of Holmes the stealers want to keep seeing.

There was good news for Holmes off the field, as the Memorial Day weekend disorderly conduct charge filed against him in Miami was dropped. He doesn't know if he must attend an Aug. 15 trial in Columbus, Ohio, on a domestic violence charge brought against him by the mother of one of his three children, but his lawyers are attempting to have the case dropped.

That's the side of Holmes the stealers never want to see again, and they have warned him that any repeated off-field incidents could lead to disciplinary action, fines or suspensions.

"I'm a young guy stepping into a great deal of things," he said. "I'm just looking forward to having a great career. I don't feel like I have to prove to anybody. I just have to get out there and show the organization that I want to play football and that's the only thing I'm here for."

It appears Holmes will press the more experienced Cedrick Wilson for playing time as the season approaches. The stealers play their first preseason game Saturday at Arizona, and Holmes expects to play considerably, and line up to catch punts.

Of course, it will help once he learns how to line up. Several times last week, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had to motion to Holmes where to line up or to switch from one side of the field to the other.

"Right now, I'm asking a lot of questions and they're helping out a whole lot," Holmes said.

Because his college class had not yet graduated, Holmes was not permitted by NCAA rules to attend a series of coaching sessions the stealers held following their May minicamp. His absence put Holmes behind the other rookies in learning the offense, including third-round pick Willie Reid, another receiver.

"He's got a long way to go from a mental standpoint, understanding where to line up, and as he grows in the offense we'll be able to do more things with him," Whisenhunt said of Holmes.

Cowher said Holmes, like most rookies, is a work in progress.

"The more they're running routes and doing things on a repetitive basis, they'll be able to do it faster and be able to do it without thinking," Cowher said. "A lot of these guys are still thinking out there and when you're thinking, you're a step slow. Obviously, we're trying to expedite this process and when we do that, we'll be able to assess the skills he has."
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