Tag: Torry Holt

Isaac Bruce says he and Torry Holt are the best WR duo in NFL history

Isaac Bruce believes he and Torry Holt are the best WR duo in NFL history over Randy Moss and Cris Carter.

Some people would venture to say that Randy Moss and Cris Carter are the best wide receiver duo in NFL history. Moss and Carter played from 1998-2001 on the Minnesota Vikings together. In their first three seasons, Moss and Carter each posted 1,000-plus receiving yards and at least nine touchdowns, striking fear into opposing defenses. Despite the stellar production that Moss and Carter compiled together, Isaac Bruce believes that he and Torry Holt are the best wide receiver duo of all time thanks to their dominance together with the St. Louis Rams.

“It may seem like a whole lot of arrogance to other people, but numbers don’t lie,” Bruce said during a virtual interview on Tuesday, via Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports. “Everything we put on the football field, the film, it is what it is. You can always go back and turn it on.”

When asked whether he and Holt were a better duo than Moss and Carter, Bruce uttered that they have something the Vikings’ duo doesn’t.

“We won a Super Bowl,” Bruce said.

Besides having a Super Bowl ring to flaunt, Bruce and Holt also played together longer than the duo of Moss and Carter. After Holt was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft, Bruce and Holt would spend 1999-2007 together on the Rams. Over the course of those nine seasons, they won a Super Bowl in Holt’s rookie year and proceeded to make the Super Bowl in 2001, only to lose to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Amid Bruce and Holt’s run with the Rams, they were one of the most dominant wide receiver pairings we’ve ever seen grace the gridiron. The numbers speak for themselves as Bruce is preparing to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month and Holt has a chance to be enshrined in Canton at some point in the future, too. While there has been an abundance of gifted wide receiver duos to play in the NFL, Bruce doesn’t believe any of them are superior to him and Holt.

 

Isaac Bruce: Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are ‘very similar’ to me and Torry Holt

Isaac Bruce says it’ll be tough for Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp to match himself and Torry Holt, but he hopes they do.

Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods have established themselves as one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL over the last four years. They may not individually put up huge numbers in the range of the elite wideouts like DeAndre Hopkins and Davante Adams, but together they make up a great pairing in Los Angeles.

It’s not the first time the Rams have boasted a dynamic wide receiver tandem. Fans vividly remember the days of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt wreaking havoc against opposing secondaries, winning a Super Bowl together in St. Louis.

Bruce and Holt both made the Pro Bowl together in 2000 and 2001, with Holt leading the NFL in receiving yards (1,635) in 2000 and Bruce adding another 1,471 yards receiving himself that year. Woods and Kupp haven’t come close to more than 3,100 combined yards in a season, but Bruce still sees similarities between them and his reign with Holt.

“I think they’re pretty close,” Bruce said on NFL Network of where Woods and Kupp rank in the NFL right now. “Number one, they’re football players, and that’s always where I begin in my evaluation of players. They can run after the catch, catch footballs in traffic, make plays. They can get open versus zone and they do a lot of their work at the line of scrimmage. So when I see these two guys and the combination that they have together, very similar to what Torry and I were able to accomplish. And at the same time, I’m very biased about my time with the Rams and the work that Torry and I put in, so it’s going to be hard to match but hopefully they do it.

“That gets me a free playoff ticket to somewhere in the country, preferably in SoFi Stadium. The more they win, the happier I am.”

It’ll take a lot for Woods and Kupp to catch Bruce and Holt in terms of production, and they probably never will. Bruce is a Hall of Famer with eight 1,000-yard seasons and four Pro Bowl selections. Holt has been a Hall of Fame finalist, made the Pro Bowl seven times and recorded eight straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Rams.

It’s fun to think about how good Kupp and Woods will be, but there are few wide receiver tandems better than Holt and Bruce in NFL history.

Fans question how Calvin Johnson got into Hall of Fame before Torry Holt

Torry Holt didn’t make it to Canton on Saturday night and fans are wondering how Calvin Johnson did.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021 was revealed on Saturday night at the NFL Honors show and for the seventh year in a row, Torry Holt was not among the players elected. In his seventh year of eligibility, his seventh year as a semifinalist and his second year as a finalist, Holt missed the cut.

Calvin Johnson, however, was elected in his first year of eligibility. Johnson was deserving of making it to Canton after making six Pro Bowls and retiring at the age of 30, but many are questioning how he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer while Holt still hasn’t gotten in.

It’s a legitimate debate, too. In his career, Holt caught 920 passes for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns in 173 games. Johnson’s career spanned 135 games, and he caught 731 passes for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.

Even in per-game averages, Holt wasn’t far behind Johnson: 5.3 receptions, 77.4 yards and 0.4 touchdowns per game compared to 5.4 receptions, 86.1 yards and 0.6 touchdowns per game for Megatron. Holt won a Super Bowl and played in 10 postseason games, too, while Johnson didn’t win either of his two playoff starts.

Here are some of the reactions on Twitter after Johnson was elected and Holt was snubbed.

 

Former Rams WR Torry Holt snubbed from Pro Football Hall of Fame again

Torry Holt will not join Isaac Bruce in Canton after missing out on the Hall of Fame once again.

Torry Holt put together an outstanding resume during his time in the NFL, but for the seventh straight year, it wasn’t enough to get him to Canton. Holt was unfortunately left out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class for 2021, which was revealed on Saturday.

Holt was a finalist for the second time this year and has been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2015, being voted a semifinalist seven times. But as was the case in 2020, he came up just short in what was a loaded class of candidates.

Here’s the full class of players who were elected, led by Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson and Charles Woodson.

In 11 NFL seasons, Holt caught 920 passes for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns. He spent 10 years with the Rams, making the Pro Bowl seven times and being named a first-team All-Pro once while in St. Louis.

He led the NFL in receiving yards twice in 2000 and 2003, but more impressively, he had at least 1,000 yards receiving in each season from 2000-2007.

Holt had a chance to join Isaac Bruce in Canton, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. Because the induction ceremony was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the 2021 class will be inducted along with last year’s class.

Torry Holt named a finalist for 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Torry Holt will try to join Isaac Bruce in Canton as the latest Rams Hall of Famer.

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Torry Holt will attempt to be the second former Rams receiver to make it to Canton in as many years. After Isaac Bruce was elected last year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday that Holt has been named a finalist for the Class of 2021, his second straight year as a finalist.

He’s one of just 15 finalists who have a chance to make the Hall of Fame this year, alongside the likes of Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson.

In 10 seasons with the Rams, Holt caught 869 passes for 12,660 yards and 74 touchdowns. He ranks second in franchise history in receptions and receiving yards.

Holt was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2003, as well as a seven-time Pro Bowler. His 921 career receptions rank 21st all-time in NFL history, while his 13,382 yards put him 16th.

Twice he led the NFL in receiving yards, and he also topped the league in receptions once, recording eight straight seasons of at least 100 yards.

The Hall of Fame selection committee will select four to eight finalists to make it to Canton this year, with the 2021 class being announced the week of Super Bowl LV. The Class of 2020, which includes Bruce, will also be enshrined this year after the ceremony was postponed last summer due to the pandemic.

Torry Holt is a Hall of Fame semifinalist for 7th time, Steven Jackson misses cut

Torry Holt was a finalist in 2020 and hopes to get in this year.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the list of 25 semifinalists for the Class of 2021, and only one former Rams player made the cut. For the seventh straight year, Torry Holt has been selected as a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame.

He was among seven former Rams who were named nominees back in September, but the only one who made it through to the next round of the selection process. Notably, Steven Jackson did not make the cut as a semifinalist in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility.

Holt has been a semifinalist every year since 2015. He was a finalist last year but was not inducted like his former teammate, Isaac Bruce was.

In 10 years with the Rams, Holt caught 869 passes for 12,660 yards and 74 touchdowns. He finished his career in 2009 with the Jaguars, playing 15 games for Jacksonville that year while recording a career-low 51 receptions for 722 yards. Holt ranks second in franchise history in receptions and receiving yards.

This group of 25 semifinalists will be pared down to 15 finalists in January. Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Charles Woodson and Jared Allen are among the most notable players eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time, and all are just about locks to be enshrined in Canton.

Steven Jackson, Torry Holt among Hall of Fame nominees for 2021

The Rams will try to send two more players to Canton next year.

Isaac Bruce was finally voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, even though he wasn’t afforded an induction ceremony in Canton due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Rams will try to send fellow receiver Torry Holt to Canton with him next year, as well as Steven Jackson.

Both Jackson and Holt are among the 130 nominees for the Class of 2021, with Jackson being one of 14 first-year candidates. The full list of eligible players was released by the Hall of Fame on Wednesday afternoon.

The list of 130 players will be whittled down to just 25 semifinalists in November before the 15 finalists are determined in January. Holt was a finalist last year but wasn’t voted in alongside his former teammate Bruce.

Jackson played nine years with the Rams in St. Louis, rushing for 10,138 yards and 56 touchdowns during his career with the franchise. In total, he played 12 seasons in the NFL and finished with 11,438 yards with 69 rushing touchdowns.

He rushed for at least 1,000 yards eight straight years from 2005-2012, with his best season coming in 2006 as he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,334).

Watch: Rams legends put Keegan Michael-Key, Ian Karmel through a football practice

Keegan-Michael Key and Ian Karmel were challenged to make a 20-yard field goal at the Coliseum.

There’s a lot of work put in by football players behind the scenes that fans don’t see. Not only are they practicing throughout the week where fans are unable to watch, but they’re constantly working out, watching film, attending meetings and staying in shape at all costs.

Steven Jackson, Torry Holt and Orlando Pace all know that very well, having put together extremely successful careers with the Rams. Practices were especially tough during their playing days, since teams were allowed to hold two-a-days then and there were far more padded practices.

Those three Rams legends put celebrities through a football practice on a new show called “Game On!” and trained them for a kicking competition at the Coliseum before L.A. took on the Bears last season.

The two celebrities were comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Ian Karmel, who hilariously went through receiving and blocking drills, as well as kicking practice. After practicing, the two comedians had to kick a 20-yard field goal at the Coliseum as part of the game show.

Tennis legend Venus Williams also joined in on the fun while in attendance at the game and attempted the kick, too.

It’s hilarious that Karmel hit the crossbar not once, but twice. Key nailed the kick with ease, while Williams’ attempt was pulled left of the mark.

Rob Gronkowski was also on the show as part of the opposing team, and it seems Karmel wants to overtake him in the tight end ranks.

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Torry Holt says Greatest Show on Turf was better than 2007 Patriots

Torry Holt would pick the Greatest Show on Turf over the 2007 Patriots, who went 16-0.

The 2007 New England Patriots ran the table in the regular season, going a perfect 16-0. They won their first two playoff games, but then hit a wall in the Super Bowl and lost to the New York Giants.

They finished 18-1, coming up one win shy of a truly perfect season.

That Patriots team is widely viewed as one of the best in NFL history. Yet, Torry Holt would still pick the Greatest Show on Turf over the 2007 Patriots.

“The ‘07 Patriots were dynamic. They were really good.” Holt told Rob Lep of Sports Illustrated. “Moss, Brady, and Welker and all those guys. But you know I’ve got to go with us. The amount of points and the consecutive years which we did it was just unbelievable. We took the National Football League by storm because of the speed in which we played, the routes, the concepts which we were running and the points, which is incredible. So I’d go with the Greatest Show on Turf, but no disrespect to those 07 Patriots. They were phenomenal, but the Greatest Show on Turf was the best.”

The Rams’ best team was in 1999 when they went 13-3, leading the league in scoring with 526 points and only allowing 242. They were a well-rounded unit, which makes it no surprise that they went on to win the Super Bowl that year.

They were led by Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce and Holt, going 37-11 across three seasons with two Super Bowl appearances.

The 2007 Patriots have a strong case as the better team, though. They scored 589 points and only allowed 274, ranking first in total offense and fourth defensively. If not for Eli Manning’s miraculous completion to David Tyree’s helmet, the Patriots very likely would’ve finished 19-0.

But regardless of which way you lean in this Rams vs. Patriots debate, both teams were among the best in NFL history.