K.C.'s Holmes Gets Top NFL Offense Award

<br>Priest Holmes accomplished in 14 games what many players can't in two full seasons. His reward: The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. <br><br>The dynamic running back for

Friday, January 10th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Priest Holmes accomplished in 14 games what many players can't in two full seasons. His reward: The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

The dynamic running back for the Kansas City Chiefs was on pace to shatter several NFL records before a deep hip bruise sidelined him for the final two games of 2002. Still, Holmes set 10 team records, including 1,615 yards rushing and 21 TDs. He also had three scores as a receiver, and the 24 TDs were two short of Marshall Faulk's league mark.

Holmes' 2,287 yards from scrimmage fell 142 short of Faulk's NFL record. And in 383 touches, Holmes had only one fumble.

Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil researched Holmes' total yards from scrimmage and found it was the most ever in a 14-game span.

``After I missed the last two games, I wasn't even thinking about any honors or awards or anything,'' Holmes admitted Thursday after receiving 20 1/2 votes from a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. ``I really appreciate this.

``But I'm grateful to my offensive line and coaches more than anything for what they did for me.''

Holmes' line, featuring Pro Bowl selections William Roaf at tackle and Will Shields at guard, was intact the entire season.

Still, Holmes' skills as a runner and receiver probably made the linemen look pretty good, too.

``It's nice to know his performance is being recognized,'' said Vermeil, who recruited Holmes as a free agent shortly after taking the Chiefs' job in January 2001. ``His performance on the field on game day is only a reflection of what he's about every day. It's hard even for me to get him to talk about himself. And it's not an artificial humbleness. That's really just the way he is.''

Holmes might be quiet off the field, but his numbers on it are incredibly expressive. He rushed for more than 100 yards nine times. He scored four touchdowns in a win over Cleveland in the opener and had three TDs in two other games. Holmes gained 307 yards against Seattle (197 rushing, 110 receiving).

That enabled him to beat out record-setting receiver Marvin Harrison of Indianapolis, who was second in the balloting with 14 1/2 votes. Harrison smashed the NFL mark for receptions in a season with 143, 20 more than the previous record.

Of course, Holmes almost certainly would have held a bunch of league records had he stayed healthy. So was he bitter about the injury, which he said will not require surgery?

``Not at all,'' he said. ``When I got hurt (a knee injury in his senior year at Texas) and went undrafted in 1997, I didn't sit around and say, `Why me?' I just did everything I could as a free agent for Baltimore.

``Then I got the opportunity and I rushed for 1,000 yards, but the next season I could have said, `Why me?' But instead, I just tried to go back to work.

``I look at the opportunity to learn and to get a good start on next season and see what we can put together, see how I can be even better. I'm not looking back. I'm looking forward.''

Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon, the league's most valuable player, was third in the balloting with nine votes, followed by Miami running back Ricky Williams with three and Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair with one.

Holmes is the first Chief to win the award, which went to Faulk the last three seasons. The last seven Offensive Player of the Year awards have gone to running backs; Brett Favre in 1995 was the last quarterback to win it, and Jerry Rice, in 1993, the last receiver.