Valentine Holmes doesn’t plan on returning to the NRL until he fulfils his American dream
Valentine Holmes doesn’t plan on returning to the NRL until he fulfils his American dream, regardless of what the critics back home are saying, writes PETER BADEL.
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Valentine Holmes says he is determined to prove his critics wrong and admits there is no guarantee he will return to the NRL to play for the Cowboys, insisting he can be successful in the NFL.
As he prepares to leave Australia to chase his American dream, Holmes revealed how clinching a practice-squad berth with the New York Jets has only steeled his resolve to defy the odds by playing an official NFL fixture.
Having spent three months learning the nuances of American Football at the world-famous IMG Academy, Holmes will depart for New York on Tuesday for the most critical phase yet in his quest to emulate Jarryd Hayne and crack the NFL.
The former Queensland Origin star will begin training with the Jets’ practice squad this week. New York’s fourth and final pre-season trial is against Philadelphia in late August – potentially pitting Holmes against fellow Australian Jordan Mailata, the 166kg monster who joined the Eagles last year.
Recent statistics underline the Everest-style climb Holmes faces to reach the NFL Summit.
An estimated 1,086,627 high-school are registered gridiron players.
Of the 70,000 who make it to NCAA college football, just 1.6 per cent, about 1130 players, graduate to play NFL.
Holmes accepts many NRL fans think he has no hope of carving out a long-term career in the NFL, but he is backing himself in a foreign American sport.
“I have always been confident in my athletic ability but I am more confident in my work ethic. Hard work will beat talent every time,” Holmes told The Sunday Mail.
“I am committed to making the NFL and I believe I can.
“The critics say I can’t make it but I won’t leave any stone unturned in my pursuit to make the Jets’ 53-man roster.
“I turned up to the Cronulla Sharks as a rookie when no one knew who I was and I worked hard and it turned out OK.
“This is a totally different sport, but I am prepared to bide my time and learn.”
When Holmes begins his Jets journey this week on a $180,000 practice-squad deal, North Queensland Cowboys bosses will be 15,400km away sweating on his death-or-glory season in New York.
Holmes has been placed with the Jets under the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program, which gives overseas imports a full NFL campaign to learn the sport with immunity from being cut.
It means Holmes will not return to the NRL this season. The 2019 NFL regular season runs from September 5 to December 29 before the playoffs kick off in January.
The best-case scenario for the Cowboys is that Holmes is jettisoned by New York at season’s end, which would enable him to join an NRL club for the pre-season from February 2020.
The Cowboys are currently deciding whether to stay patient to see if they can secure Holmes to a four or five-year deal, but the 23-year-old is adopting the mentality he will not return to the NRL.
“I know that’s what people think, that I’m planning to join the Cowboys, and the media like to report that, but I am not thinking of a Plan B,” Holmes said.
“I can’t thinking of failing. I need to be 100 per cent focused and committed.
“I have absolute tunnel vision right now on becoming an NFL player.
“Look, I love the Cowboys as a club, it was the club I grew up supporting and I have so many different connections to the club and to Townsville so I would never say never.
“But my path now is with the Jets and becoming the very best NFL player I can be.”
While the Cowboys’ offer was attractive, the appeal of living in New York was too good to refuse for Holmes.
The former Maroons winger has stacked on 7kg of muscle working 14 hour days at the IMG Academy to keep his NFL dream alive.
“It’s been tough, really challenging in every aspect,” he said.
“I think the IPP path is the right one for me. I spoke to my agent Chris Orr, who got Jordan Mailata a start at Philadelphia, and he believed some time at the IMG Academy would properly prepare me for an NFL opportunity.
“The training was completely new to me. We would start at 7am and close the books at 9pm every day for 11 weeks. It was broken up into gym work, rehab, classroom study, on-the-field training and then back to the video room for analysis. The guys at the IMG facility and the coaches within the NFL International Program were the best. I couldn’t have asked for better people to prepare me.
“To get the call from the Jets ... the relief and excitement hit me all at once. It felt the same way when I was selected for the Queensland Origin side.
“I understand that some people think I’m mad to walk away from the NRL at the top of my game and I’m grateful for all that rugby league has given me and the systems that have made me the athlete I am today.
“But the athlete’s mindset is to always push new limits. I hope my fans in rugby league will continue to support me with my NFL journey.
“It’s time to test myself again. I don’t plan to fail. I’m committed to giving this everything I’ve got.”
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