Priest Holmes Offensive Player of the Year (2003)

Lore & Background

Holmes signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001 and led the NFL in rushing that season with 1,555 yards. In 2002, he rushed for 1,615 yards and 21 touchdowns, adding three receiving touchdowns for 24 total. In 2003, he set an NFL record with 27 total touchdowns (rushing and receiving), breaking Marshall Faulk's record. Holmes is one of only two running backs in NFL history with back-to-back seasons of 20 or more rushing touchdowns (2002 and 2003), alongside LaDainian Tomlinson.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Arrowhead Stadium was thick with anticipation, the kind that only settles before a storm. Priest Holmes stood at the line of scrimmage, his helmet gleaming under the harsh floodlights, the weight of the number 30 on his shoulders feeling lighter than ever. The crowd roared, a deafening wall of red and gold, but inside his mind, there was only silence and focus. He saw the safety creep up, a telltale sign that they were afraid to let him run free. The ball snapped. Holmes didn't hesitate. He hit the hole with the force of a freight train, absorbing a linebacker's hit without breaking stride. The crowd erupted as he spun out of the tackle, his eyes locked on the end zone. It was just another play in a season that felt like a dream, but to the fans, it was history being written in real time. As he crossed the goal line, raising his arms in triumph, the stadium shook, not just from the noise, but from the realization that they were witnessing greatness.

Reader's Guide

Holmes was a three-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection (2001–2003). He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2002. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2002 and 2003. He led the NFL in scrimmage yards in 2001 and 2003. He was inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2014.

Did You Know?

• Holmes led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2002 and 2003, but not in 2001.
• Holmes never scored 27 rushing touchdowns in a season; his highest was 21 in 2002.
• Holmes led the NFL in rushing yards in 2001, but not in yards from scrimmage.
• Holmes won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2002, his only such award.
• Holmes scored 32 rushing touchdowns in his first two seasons with the Chiefs (2001–2002).