Darnay Holmes

Originally a 4th-round (110th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2020.

TRANSACTIONS:

• Originally a 4th-round (110th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2020.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Holmes played in 23 games and 9 starts in his first 2 Giants seasons…Recorded 58 tackles (43 solo), 2 interceptions, 7 passes defensed, 3 quarterback hits, one fumble recovery, 0.5 sack and one special teams tackle.
• In 2021, Holmes played in 11 games with 4 starts and totaled 28 tackles (20 solo), 2 passes defensed, one interception, one quarterback hit and one special teams tackle…Added 5 kickoff returns for 97 yards…Tallied 3 tackles (1 solo), one quarterback hit and a pass defensed vs. Denver (9/12)…Registered 6 tackles (5 solo) in his first start of 2021 at Washington (9/16)…Recorded his lone interception of the season when he picked off Jalen Hurts and returned it 15 yards vs. Philadelphia (11/28)…Holmes injured his ribs on the play and spent the rest of the season on injured reserve.
• As a rookie in 2020, Holmes played in 12 games with 5 starts…Inactive at Philadelphia (10/22) with a neck injury and vs. Arizona (12/13) and Cleveland (12/20) with a knee injury…Did not play at Baltimore (12/27)…Totaled 30 tackles (23 solo), one interception, one half-sack and 5 passes defensed.
• Started the season opener vs. Pittsburgh (9/14) and had 3 tackles (2 solo)…When Holmes and left tackle Andrew Thomas started vs. the Steelers, it was the 8th consecutive year at least one Giants rookie draft choice started the season opener, which was tied for the NFL's longest streak with Buffalo, Carolina, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.
• Tallied 3 tackles (2 solo) and combined with linebacker Markus Golden for his first career sack, a 7-yard takedown of Dak Prescott, at Dallas (10/11)…Made 4 solo tackles and picked up the first fumble recovery of his career when he fell on a ball that linebacker Blake Martinez had forced from the hands of running back Ronald Jones, who had just caught a 3-yard pass from Tom Brady vs. Tampa Bay (11/2)…Intercepted his first pass when he picked off a Russell Wilson pass in the 4th quarter at Seattle (12/6)…Wilson's pass caromed off running back Chris Carson's facemask and Tae Crowder's hand before Holmes grabbed it…Collected a season-high 5 tackles (4 solo) at Washington and at the Seahawks.

COLLEGE:

• Holmes played in 35 games with 33 starts in 3 seasons at UCLA, where his career totals included 121 tackles (89 solo), 8 interceptions, 28 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries…Also averaged 23.1 yards on 38 kickoff returns, including a 93-yard touchdown in 2018…In 2019, started all 10 games in which he played…Selected honorable mention All-Pac-12…Finished with 34 tackles (24 solo)…Led the Bruins with 2 interceptions and was credited with 8 passes defensed…In 2018, started all 12 games and was selected honorable mention All-Pac-12 after leading the team with 3 interceptions, including one he returned 31 yards for a touchdown vs. Arizona State, a career-high 12 passes defensed and 2 forced fumbles…Finished 5th on the team with a career-high 48 tackles (34 solo)…Enrolled at UCLA in January 2017 and as a freshman, played in 13 games with 11 starts…Holmes and defensive lineman Jaelan Phillips were the first pair of true freshmen defenders to start a season opener for the Bruins...Led the team with 3 interceptions, including one he returned 30 yards for a touchdown vs. Hawaii (9/9)…Collected 39 tackles (29 solo) and 6 passes defensed.

OFF-THE-FIELD ACTIVITY:

• Assisted in the creation of the Pasadena Giants Youth Football and Cheer program in his hometown of Pasadena to help prepare children for the future and promote their love of the game…Partnered with Yonkers Public Schools and Yonkers My Brother's Keeper (MBK) to support student social and emotional well-being and academic achievement…Joined forces with Covenant House New Jersey in Newark during the 2021 season to support homeless youth through education, employment and financial literacy…Contributed grants through the NFL Foundation to the Pasadena Giants and Life Builders Inc., which provides mentorship services to children and adults… Provided Thanksgiving meals to families in Yonkers.

PERSONAL:

• Full name is Darnay Darius Robert Holmes…Earned a bachelor's degree in African American studies in 3 years…Started his prep career at Oaks Christian before transferring to Newbury Park High School for his sophomore season, playing with his older brother (Darick Jr.)  and catching 87 passes for 1,349 yards and 15 touchdowns…Transferred to Calabasas (Calif.) High School for his junior and senior seasons, leading the program to back-to-back section titles for the first time in school history…Concluded career with 39 touchdown catches…As a senior in 2015, had 69 receptions for 1,214 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus 30 tackles on defense…Also returned kickoffs...Led the Coyotes to their first CIF football championship…Holmes scored 5 touchdowns 4 different ways in a 42-3 victory against Palos Verdes in a CIF Southern Section Western Division final…In the game, he scored twice on punt returns and added scores rushing, receiving and on a 68-yard interception return…Invited to the U.S. Army All-America Bowl Game...Father, Darick Holmes, was an NFL running back from 1995-99 and rushed for 1,769 yards and 11 touchdowns for Buffalo, Green Bay and Indianapolis…Brother played wide receiver at Arizona from 2015-18…Also has an older sister, Derica...Earned a spot on the athletic director's Academic Honor Roll in Spring 2018 and Fall 2018.