Vonnie Holliday
Encyclopedia
Dimetry Giovonni "Vonnie" Holliday (born December 12, 1975) is an American football
defensive end
for the Arizona Cardinals
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
19th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at North Carolina
.
Holliday has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs
, Miami Dolphins
, Denver Broncos
, and Washington Redskins
.
. He was a three-time all-area and all-conference selection on defense, where he played defensive end
, defensive tackle and linebacker
. Holliday also played offense
as a tight end
and was an all-conference selection there as well.
In basketball
, Holliday earned all-conference honors as a senior after leading his team to a record of 28-3 and the state semi-finals. He was also a three-time letterman in baseball
where he played pitcher
, catcher
, first baseman
and third baseman
.
by the Green Bay Packers
- coincidentally with a pick acquired from Holliday's future team, the Miami Dolphins. He had an impressive rookie season
, compiling 52 tackles (34 solo), a franchise rookie
record 8 sacks, 2 fumble
recoveries, and 5 pass deflections in 12 games. In the first round of the playoffs, Holliday recorded a sack against Pro Football Hall of Fame
quarterback
Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers
. For his performance in 1998, Holliday was a consensus all-rookie selection and finished second behind Oakland Raiders
cornerback
Charles Woodson
(now with the Packers) for AP
's Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
In 1999, Holliday played his first full pro season. He was once again impressive, leading all Packers linemen with 67 tackles and finishing second on the team with six sacks. He also added a forced fumble, fumble recovery and six passes defensed on the season.
Battling hamstring and ankle injuries, Holliday appeared in 12 games in 2000, starting nine. Holliday played well when he was on the field, totaling 47 tackles, five sacks and four passes defensed. He also grabbed his first career interception
in a September 10 contest against quarterback Rob Johnson and the Buffalo Bills
.
Back at full health, Holliday had another good season in 2001. On the year, Holliday registered a career-high 81 tackles along with seven sacks, three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and three passes defensed. Just as in 1999, Holliday finished first among Packers linemen in tackles and second on the team in sacks.
In his final season with the Packers, Holliday missed four games with a torn pectoral
muscle and two with a knee injury. In the 10 games he did play, Holliday accumulated 26 tackles, six sacks, an interception, three forced fumbles and four passes defensed. His second career interception came in a December 15 contest against then San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia
. Holliday posted the best game of his career on December 22 against the Buffalo Bills, in which he sacked Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe
five times and forced three fumbles - a Packers single game record. The performance against the Bills earned him NFC
Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Though the Packers and Holliday discussed a contract extension prior to the 2002 season, the organization's decision to retain defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt
- coupled with coach Mike Sherman
being a fan of young defensive end Aaron Kampman
- spelled the end of Holliday's tenure in Green Bay after the expiration of his rookie contract.
and the Seattle Seahawks
. However, it was the Kansas City Chiefs
that landed him on April 7, inking him to a five-year deal worth $21.3 million and a signing bonus of $4 million. That being the case, the structure of the contract created what essentially would be a two-year deal due to a $5 million bonus owed before the third year. As things would turn out, those first two years would be the length of Holliday's tenure in Kansas City.
In Holliday's first year as a member of the Chiefs, he posted 80 tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three passes defensed. He made a splash in his first game in red and gold, sacking San Diego Chargers
quarterback Drew Brees
three times. On a lackluster Chiefs defense, Holliday's 5.5 sacks were surprisingly best on the team.
Abdomen, groin and knee injuries limited Holliday in 2004 as he played in only nine games and started three. In the games he did play, Holliday totaled 13 tackles and two passes defensed. He was placed on Injured Reserve
on December 24, ending his season and eventually his tenure in Kansas City.
Holliday was released by the team on February 28, 2005 - a move which saved the team over $6 million on that season's salary cap
.
Holliday found a new home with the Dolphins at defensive tackle. Holliday's big, strong frame gave him the ability to play inside, where he displayed great ability against the run and rushing the passer. He started all 16 games as an interior defensive lineman that year, compiling 56 tackles, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and six passes defensed. Holliday's best game of the year came on November 27 against the Oakland Raiders
, where he produced five tackles and two of the Dolphins' seven sacks that day.
Holliday started all 16 games for the second straight season in 2006. In one of the best seasons of his career, Holliday amassed 66 tackles, seven sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed. Holliday's seven sacks in 2006 ranked second on the team behind only Defensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor
's 13.5, and also ranked third in the league among defensive tackles. It was also the highest total for a Dolphins player at the position in more than two decades.
On February 21, 2007 the Dolphins re-signed Holliday to a four-year deal that would prevent the upcoming free agent from hitting the open market, where he was surely to cash in after a stellar 2006 campaign. The new deal was worth approximately $20 million, and he will make $7 million in the first year alone.
In November 2008, Holliday was selected by his teammates as the team's NFLPA player representative.
On March 2, 2009, Holliday was released by the Dolphins after failing to agree on a re-structured contract.
along with a sixth round draft pick in exchange for running back
Tim Hightower
on July 31, 2011.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
19th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
.
Holliday has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Early years
Holliday was a multi-sport star athlete at Camden High School in South Carolina. As a senior, Holliday was a first-team all-state selection and the Class 3A Lineman of the Year for his work on the gridironHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. He was a three-time all-area and all-conference selection on defense, where he played defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
, defensive tackle and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. Holliday also played offense
Offense (sports)
In sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
as a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
and was an all-conference selection there as well.
In basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Holliday earned all-conference honors as a senior after leading his team to a record of 28-3 and the state semi-finals. He was also a three-time letterman in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
where he played pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
.
Green Bay Packers
Holliday was drafted 19th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
- coincidentally with a pick acquired from Holliday's future team, the Miami Dolphins. He had an impressive rookie season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
, compiling 52 tackles (34 solo), a franchise rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
record 8 sacks, 2 fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recoveries, and 5 pass deflections in 12 games. In the first round of the playoffs, Holliday recorded a sack against Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. For his performance in 1998, Holliday was a consensus all-rookie selection and finished second behind Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
(now with the Packers) for AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
's Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
In 1999, Holliday played his first full pro season. He was once again impressive, leading all Packers linemen with 67 tackles and finishing second on the team with six sacks. He also added a forced fumble, fumble recovery and six passes defensed on the season.
Battling hamstring and ankle injuries, Holliday appeared in 12 games in 2000, starting nine. Holliday played well when he was on the field, totaling 47 tackles, five sacks and four passes defensed. He also grabbed his first career interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
in a September 10 contest against quarterback Rob Johnson and the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Back at full health, Holliday had another good season in 2001. On the year, Holliday registered a career-high 81 tackles along with seven sacks, three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and three passes defensed. Just as in 1999, Holliday finished first among Packers linemen in tackles and second on the team in sacks.
In his final season with the Packers, Holliday missed four games with a torn pectoral
Pectoralis major muscle
The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest of the body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female...
muscle and two with a knee injury. In the 10 games he did play, Holliday accumulated 26 tackles, six sacks, an interception, three forced fumbles and four passes defensed. His second career interception came in a December 15 contest against then San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
. Holliday posted the best game of his career on December 22 against the Buffalo Bills, in which he sacked Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
five times and forced three fumbles - a Packers single game record. The performance against the Bills earned him NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Though the Packers and Holliday discussed a contract extension prior to the 2002 season, the organization's decision to retain defensive tackle Cletidus Hunt
Cletidus Hunt
Cletidus Marquell Hunt is a former defensive tackle in the National Football League and the Arena Football League.-NFL career:Hunt was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 1999 NFL Draft...
- coupled with coach Mike Sherman
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles...
being a fan of young defensive end Aaron Kampman
Aaron Kampman
Aaron Allan Kampman is an American football defensive end and linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa....
- spelled the end of Holliday's tenure in Green Bay after the expiration of his rookie contract.
Kansas City Chiefs
As a free agent in 2003, Holliday received interest from multiple teams including the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. However, it was the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
that landed him on April 7, inking him to a five-year deal worth $21.3 million and a signing bonus of $4 million. That being the case, the structure of the contract created what essentially would be a two-year deal due to a $5 million bonus owed before the third year. As things would turn out, those first two years would be the length of Holliday's tenure in Kansas City.
In Holliday's first year as a member of the Chiefs, he posted 80 tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three passes defensed. He made a splash in his first game in red and gold, sacking San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
three times. On a lackluster Chiefs defense, Holliday's 5.5 sacks were surprisingly best on the team.
Abdomen, groin and knee injuries limited Holliday in 2004 as he played in only nine games and started three. In the games he did play, Holliday totaled 13 tackles and two passes defensed. He was placed on Injured Reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on December 24, ending his season and eventually his tenure in Kansas City.
Holliday was released by the team on February 28, 2005 - a move which saved the team over $6 million on that season's salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins showed great interest in Holliday right from the start, and signed him to a contract less than two weeks after his release from the Chiefs. The two-year deal with the Dolphins included a $1 million signing bonus, minimum base salaries and over $5 million in possible incentives.Holliday found a new home with the Dolphins at defensive tackle. Holliday's big, strong frame gave him the ability to play inside, where he displayed great ability against the run and rushing the passer. He started all 16 games as an interior defensive lineman that year, compiling 56 tackles, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and six passes defensed. Holliday's best game of the year came on November 27 against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he produced five tackles and two of the Dolphins' seven sacks that day.
Holliday started all 16 games for the second straight season in 2006. In one of the best seasons of his career, Holliday amassed 66 tackles, seven sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed. Holliday's seven sacks in 2006 ranked second on the team behind only Defensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor
Jason Taylor (American football)
Jason Paul Taylor is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
's 13.5, and also ranked third in the league among defensive tackles. It was also the highest total for a Dolphins player at the position in more than two decades.
On February 21, 2007 the Dolphins re-signed Holliday to a four-year deal that would prevent the upcoming free agent from hitting the open market, where he was surely to cash in after a stellar 2006 campaign. The new deal was worth approximately $20 million, and he will make $7 million in the first year alone.
In November 2008, Holliday was selected by his teammates as the team's NFLPA player representative.
On March 2, 2009, Holliday was released by the Dolphins after failing to agree on a re-structured contract.
Arizona Cardinals
Holliday was traded to the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
along with a sixth round draft pick in exchange for running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Tim Hightower
Tim Hightower
-Arizona Cardinals:Hightower scored 10 touchdowns during his rookie season, and another 3 in the post season while averaging a meager 2.8 yards per carry. He would rush for a total amount of 399 yards in 2008. Hightower would then become the only Cardinal rookie running back ever to have scored a...
on July 31, 2011.