Valentine Holmes joins the Jet set

It was 10 months, a rain delay and more than three quarters in the making, but Valentine Holmes finally made his NFL debut.

Valentine Holmes crashes into the Giants defensive line at MetLife Stadium i nNew Jersey

It was 10 months, a rain delay and more than three quarters of football in the making, but rugby league superstar Valentine Holmes finally made his much-anticipated NFL debut yesterday.

“I’m real excited; obviously I got to play,” he said in the New York Jets’ locker room after the pre-season game against fellow New Yorkers, the Giants.

“I felt pretty comfortable out there. I wasn’t nervous or anything, just real excited.

“I got that first touch out of the way, and now it probably gives me more confidence throughout the next couple of days.”

Holmes picked up several carries in the final quarter when he was finally sent into the fray, including two exciting runs of more than 10m each that showed off his speed, step and swerve.

One of those runs ended abruptly when Holmes seemed to run into a brick wall in the shape of a Giants defender, with the Australian dumped heavily onto his back. But he bounced back up quickly and got straight back into the action.

“You don’t really feel it. With the adrenaline you’re just excited to get on and make the next play. It didn’t hurt or anything getting up,” Holmes said after the match, which the Jets lost 22-31.

The former Cronulla star, who privately told friends during the week that he was confident he would get game time in the second half, was clearly relieved and happy after his debut, which included a catch in the corner late in the game when he nearly made his way over for what would have been a dream touchdown.

“It’s surreal (to be out there). You get goosebumps being in a dressing shed like this,” he said.

“We always watch games like this on TV, but to be able to experience it with these guys and to be able to step on the field and play was something special and I’m happy I’m here. Obviously, this is one game down and we’ve still got a few more games to go in the pre-season so I’m just looking forward to that and I’m going to take it day by day.

“We’ve got recovery and a video session tomorrow and obviously we could have played a bit better but we’ll work on some things and, hopefully, play better next week.”

Holmes said he was sure his family and friends back home would have found some way to watch the game.

“They told me they were watching it somehow. I think (NFL) Game Pass or something like that. I’m sure a lot of people — my friends and family — would have been watching and would have been excited to see me on, to see me pull this jersey on and be on the field.”

The small group of Australian reporters in the massive press box at Metlife Stadium were told by seasoned US NFL scribes that “There’s no cheering allowed in the press box” when we jumped to our feet and screamed “Go, Val!” as he broke through the defence. “We needed a first down (to make 10 yards in one play to keep possession) and I got it and it’s pretty good to get it,” Holmes said.

“It meant I got to stay on the field. Obviously if I didn’t get it, I would have been off.”

It was an impressive and assured debut given he had such limited opportunities and should ensure he receives more time on the field in next week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Yet at one stage in the first quarter, it seemed like fate would be against Holmes in his first game when the playing field and exposed seating areas in the 82,500-seat stadium in New Jersey were cleared due to anticipated severe weather. Rain pelted the ground and lightning lit up the skies for more than half an hour, leaving people wondering whether the game would be called off.

“I have never really experienced anything like that before, where we’ve had to stop a game due to the weather, but I knew we were going to get back out there eventually,” Holmes said.

“It was kind of weird to try and stay warm.”

Fortunately, the skies finally cleared and after a delay of an hour the game resumed.

But after the first three quarters came and went with Holmes anchored solidly on the sideline, it seemed he may not get a chance to show the Jets that he was worthy of winning a spot in their final squad of 53, which will be finalised after just three more pre-season games.

Holmes, who announced last November that he wanted to have a crack at the NFL, prowled the sideline during the first three quarters, helmet in hand, hoping and praying for game time.

Oddly, he said later he might have benefited from cooling his heels for so long.

“I had a lot of time to watch it and see what was going on,” Holmes said. “I was picking up on things so by the time I got on I was pretty comfortable.”

Jets’ head coach Adam Gase said this week he had seen marked improvement in Holmes and that he was keen to see what he could do in the game situation.

He would have been pleased with what he saw.

Holmes has been going through gruelling 14-hour training sessions in pre-season camp along with 90 other hopefuls looking for a spot in the final 53.

He admitted this week that he was considering returning to the NRL next year if he missed the cut.

But after this game, Holmes has earned the right to feel he has as good a chance as any of the contenders to win a place on the final Jets team.

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