Valentine Holmes (9/4)

yeah in the rugby league. Yeah. I don't think people understand that by the time. Montgomery understands it because he did that. Listen. I looked at this guy up after the Jets sign him, and he's like Michael Jordan's Okay, So throughout the season, we're kicking things off with val Holmes, but throughout the season we're gonna be taking fan questions. Once we know who's gonna be on the pod, will tweet it out if you have questions, tweet at one of us will ask the guests on the podcast, and

where can you find the podcast? You didn't ask that, but I'm gonna answer it for you. Apple Podcast SoundCloud, really wherever you can find podcasts, make sure to leave a review. And now is there anything else you want to add in here? Let's bring in Bill all right? All right, so we're kicking off the official Jets podcast back officially in the two thousand nineteen season with Al Holmes. Thanks for joining us. You're batting leadoff for us, so that means you're up first and a lot of pressure.

There's no pressure, A lot of pressure. No pressure. Uh yeah, no, thanks for coming on. I think fans have a thousand questions for you because your story is just so interesting. So I just kind of want to start things off by what gave you the itch to want to come overseas and pursue an NFL career. Yeah, it's uh probably started back in at the end of um myself in another playoff from Rugby League go the opportunity to trying

in l A in front of a few teams. Put us through a pretty much like a combined type training drills and stuff like that, and our managers had organized all that stuff, so I don't know how they got in touch with those guys and then um that we put us through all that. We've never done anything like that before and they were quite happy and pleased with how we you know, took overy with the unit and did the drills and executed and didn't make really any mistakes.

And then obviously it's quite big in Australia. You know a lot of US boys watch it. You know, everyone plays the fantasies and stuff like that, so it's it's quite big. Not just you know NFL, you you know the NBA, so people watch hockey, baseball, American sports. Did they select you to do that combine type training or did you and your body say we want to try to do this? Well, I had no idea who was doing it. My manager coming to me and asked me if it was something you know, I was all paid for?

Is or the trip was everything paid for? And I thought might as well. Was the end of our the year for us, so were on holidays and um, there was always something I would have been interested in doing, and um, you know, for the opportunity to come up was good. And you know I got to kind of experience it's just at a little high school in l a. Um. You know, I got to meet some of the scouts there. There was quite a few that I think that was over about fifteen different clubs there, so it was It's

probably the most nervous I've ever been for something. And I've played in Grand finals, I've played over a hundred games back home, and this is that was probably the most nervous I've been trying to perform in front of with clipboards and someone I didn't know. So growing up in Australia, who were the guys that you looked up to in the sports world and you said, hey, I watched a little bit of American football where there guys

that you said, I really look up to. The Obviously when I was a kid, I had my idols were in rugby league. Um, you know, I've got to play alongside some guys that I never thought I would would have and also play against. But as I got older

and it was just more so in the last few years. Um, I've been watching you know, NFL and basketball as any American sport closely most NFL, uh, and I love like although obviously the receivers and running backs, you know, they their swagger and how they kind of play and um, you know, treat every game. It's it's awesome to see they all got very talented and you know, very special in their own kind of way. But my favorite player used to you know, kind of watch his slides before

my games a few years ago is Odell Beckham. You know many first time. I'm sure a lot of people would have done that, but he's probably my favorite player. Any kind of motivated me to try and make the move to um come over and pursue something like this. But have you had a chance to talk to him at all? Nah? No, not at all. I've obviously seen

I've been watching him very closely. You're gonna tell him anything for a game we do probably not listen to Green's I think this is a fascinating deal because mixed reaction from folks in Australia when you decided to make this attempt You're going over to play with the New York Jets through the International Bathway program, because a lot of people are we'll watch you back right, yeah. Yeah,

So it was obviously mixed emotions. There was a lot of people that were obviously excited and wanted to follow how I went because I was a fellow regularly guy named Jared Haane that cocted the same thing. He was the right Yeah, and obviously he did quite well, so, um, you know, there's a lot of people that supported him and really you wanted him to go well, and they probably had the same you know, people wanted to stay

because he was really good in our sports. You're obviously gonna get guys that are disappointed in you're leaving, and um, you know, I wanted you to stay for the for that team. It was at Sharks, and there was a lot of fans that were, you know, not happy that I had left. But I'm sure over these past few weeks, I've been pretty excited. How difficult How difficult was it

for you to make that decision? Because I don't know if fans know this, but I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but you're pretty big deal back home, so I don't know what the comparison would be for the opposite, like if if an NFL player decided to go play in rugby league, But for you personally, how difficult was it for you to say, you know what, I want to put away what I'm doing here right now, even though I'm good at it and I want to

try something. Yeah that's different. Yeah, it was very difficult as um. Obviously you'll I felt like I had a pretty good come up, a pretty good year, and I was coming off contract as well, which you know obviously

played a part in a little bit of it. Um, But I had to you know, the team I was with, Sharks, they had offered me a pretty good deal to stay, and but it was just something I've you know, I kind of lived with his to not have any regrets, and I've really felt like I strongly would have regretted not you know, given this a cracker, especially with the opportunity that came up with that pathway, the international pathways. You know, I felt like it was just a calling

for me, and um, ever since I kind of did it. Um, you know, I've been excited since being here, and UM, I'm pretty happy I made that decision coming over. We'll jump back to football in a minute, but Uh, what's the biggest difference is as far as living is concerned coming over here. You live in New Jersey right now, but you've been to New York multiple times. I know

prior to this you've cited the beaches and the coffee. Yeah, obviously Sydney is quite expensive as well, so it wasn't too much of a of a change, but I had my own place there. I was a little bit a bit better at a car and stuff like that as well. Said it's um, you know, I don't really have all that kind of accessories at the moment, but you know, I lived quite close to facility at the moment and

it's quite easy to to get back and forth. But there's the most important thing is that like coffee, I'm really doing this that. And also Bluestone have sent me some coffee beans because they must have seen I've said that a few times. So it's it's an Australian cafe in New York City there and they're doing really well. So They've sent me some coffee and I've been having it at home. How many how many coffees do you

have it there? Yeah? I probably have one or sometimes none, just because isn't the way to really find a nice one. But back on two or three Koree screw up in Manhattan, they should have a couple of places for Yeah, I mean, I'm not I'm not a coffee drinker though, is that weird? I don't drink coffee. I'm a lot of guys that haven't, so yeah, to get yeah, you you definitely need it. What was it What was it difficult to get adjusted to the driving on the opposite side of the road

when you came here. Um, I haven't really, but do you understand it would be quite difficult. So how do you get to work every day? Um? I'll have a little scooter that a rod I love that time Montgomery let me borrow Who's Yeah, it's one of the elect like the bird scooters. Yeah, it's a Bird's good. It's electric on it tastes like minutes. Get short cut through the It's like these buildings. You can just cut through the It's great. So you don't even need to go

on the main road. No, he was actually Ryan in the locker room the other day. I think I saw you riding in the locker room straight to my stright to my locker. You know, I was looking. I was printing something earlier than I saw someone riding a scooter out the window. It might have been you. Would have been well, would it be Blake Cashman? Because it I thought for a second from a distance it might have been him too. He might have one. Were you wearing a hat on your way into where? And it was

definitely you. What does Jamal Adams says he has like a motorcycle scooter looking thing. Yeah, I think it's like an electric bike. Yeah, an electric bike was pretty cool. So I want to I mean, I want to touch on a thousand things. But in particular, you told me this when you signed that you basically casually ran the New York City Marathon, like you didn't really train for it. You just kind of said, Okay, yeah, i'll do it. I'll sign up, and then you ran twenty six point

two miles or whatever it is. That's psychotic. Yeah, it was. Obviously my wife has has done it three or four times. In the family fitness freaks, so they love running um and I've I've supported them in the past three years, and I thought I might as well give it a crack if I can. If if I don't finished, I could always just bail them, you know what I mean him at the end, But like I said, I didn't train because I was in season the whole year. I

couldn't really you literally didn't have any program. No, well, I'm because I'm the Sharks at the time. So it's not like I could just run for ten days after a game or before a game because i'd be stuffed, but I's ont me played the next week. So this was just treated in season as my training for the marathon because I knew I was doing it from the side of the year. So New York City Marathons October correct. Yeah, okay,

so what kind of what was your average mile? Um? Well, when I was insted in four and a half hours, So what did that? I don't know. I didn't really I was just did you run with I'm not going to try to do the math, but yeah, a marathon. I was just happy I finished it. I did not think I was gonna even get close to to finishing it. But was your wife encouraging you or was she like, You're never gonna be able to do this? No, she's real. She really happened me out with it. She stayed with

me the whole time. Um, she could have easily just ran off and finished it. What's her best time? She's donna didn't like three hours? God, what do you ever do it again? No, that's the first and last. I mean, I'm happy I did it, get like a gold medal and stuff like AE. Okay, but so this is fascinating because I'm thinking of you and you're a young guy. But I'm saying, bucket list already already did the New York City Marathon, You've already played in the National Football

League preseason action. I mean, what else is on that list? As far as Bell Holmes is concerned, it all seems to be in New York though. My wife and I always said we've lived an extreme roller coast lifestyle these past few years, moving from a small town to Sydney. I've made some rep teams there and it's just been you know, up and one a grand fin. Like I said,

it's um and she's been there through it all. And to move over to New York City and also do the marathon, it's um, you know, something that we at this age wouldn't think would be here. So it's we're just trying to, you know, just have fun while we're while we're doing this, and you know, you can get one life that lives on. Let's talk about some of your country man, country people. I should say a lot of people say when we bring up rugby, I say,

it's not rugby, it's the Rugby League. Talk about the signal. Yeah, that's a very big deal because people take that personally. People came at US when when you signed here and we put rugby, people said no, no, no, it has to be rugby league, and you know we had no idea. Yeah, there's two major there's a rugby union, which everyone calls rugby. It's like either fifteen or side or um there's seven rugby Um the USA. It seems quite good at seven. So that's probably why it gets a bit um confused

and lost in there. But rugby league has only played in England and Australia and New Zealand, so that's probably why it's not like worldwide rugby union is and um, but I feel like it's getting there. A lot of people that's starting to know what hopefully a lot of people more in American know it now. And um, you know, obviously Jordan my Larder played for the past the Eagles. He played rugby league as well. And when I remember when he first you know, got drafting and stuff. They're

saying he's a rugby star in Australia, but it's rugby league. Again. Jared Hayne played rugby league. So I feel like it's getting out there. It's um, it's just obviously not worldwide, like you know, everyone knows that all Blacks, the South Africans and all that. So that's all rugby union that they play fifteen. It's why we have thirty in aside. And the rules are completely different. So but you could do both. I mean I used to play rugby union,

yes in school. Um, I haven't played in a while, but it wouldn't be as hard as the transition it is to to the NFL. So how many of you your current teammates fully understand I know Time Montgomery is one of them, fully know about your success in Australia because I from where I said, it comes off that you came in. He just didn't really say anything that and your teammates probably thought, oh, it's an Austrailian guy trying to come over, not realizing how successful you were overseas.

So how many teammates fully know and understand? Well, I know the whole running back class now because Todd made the coach puts in front of everyone. So I blew up your spot pretty much talking to a lot of a lot of the boys about and um, you know, Frankie lub knows, Harvey Bronson, They kind of um you know, how for I am just a little bit and obviously now um, but there's more so just a running back class. I'm not really out here to tell everyone what I did,

which is very respectable. By the way, I very much enjoy the way that you came across that. Yeah, it was just um, you know, I was obviously putting that behind me. I just wanted to focus on this and you know, trying to make a stamp in this game. What was your favorite moment over there in the Rugby League? Probably been in the Grand Final for my team. It was so since we've been It was on our fiftieth year that the club has been you know, alive or started, and it was on the fiftith year we won as

the first ever. UM. There's been like so many great players I've played at the club and the team we had was we went We've won fifteen games in a row, drew the sixteenth and then lost the Seventever, but to win fifteen in a row and that competition is it's really hard to do and I just felt like we had a great year that year. That was year I played for Australia as well. At the end of the year UM one of Grand Finals twenty one. It was

my most favorite kind of memorable year a time. How much is that free form as far as that game is concerned, compared to now you're over here in the NFL, where everything scripted, you go huddle up for thirty seconds before a snap. Yeah, it's it's completely different. You obviously you know this is I feel like it's a real, real team sport. Every player literally needs to be in the right spot, needs to know what they're doing, needs to block the right person or you know, leave the

right person or whatever. And um, that's how you kind of get down the field. Where in rugby league it's um, you know, if you obviously there's some set plays and stuff you got to do, but you know, one one or two players, you can kind of open up the match, um and every now and then by just breaking the line. And you can't LIKEE have blockers for you. So you're going to do it, you know, free free hand for yourself. You just gotta try and create space and create create

a whole or line break. So take us through. I guess the first time you put on pads and practice, you put on the helmet, you buckle up your chin strap, you go on the huddle, and you know, the ball is coming to you, like what is going through your head? And you get hit and you go down or whatever, you stay up in training camp and just take us through your head, your emotions and the first time that you got a good pop, like what are you saying?

Like what are you feeling at that moment? Well, it's actually the running back coach help me out for a lit while, just to make sure I understand the game, understand the play calls and stuff like that, which was really good. I needed that. It's probably like a few weeks in where I got my first you know, properly running and I think it was I don't know it was seven on seven off it was actually eleven. I guess it waiting about that first scrimmage, right that Saturday

scrimmage that you guys had out of here. As far as that first hit, yeah, that was probably pretty much my first hit. And then we've we've always to hold each other right in the spring, but first contact session would have been that one, and I definitely felt that you obviously we've got to try and you know, just get up at all times, and you know, because the defense obviously you know like to layer up if you

know the plot for good hit. So I tried to just get up straight away, you know, thinking that it was nothing. So but I definitely felt how different is it hit? You know, that hit like that versus taking a big hit back home. Um, it's a little bit different, only because I didn't see that coming, so I had no idea he was coming. Obviously you lose a bit of peripheral vision and he's just come flying in from the side and I was all I was focused on

was trying to get to the end zone. Um. But in rugby league, in rugby union, you can kind of see who's coming to try and tackle you, so you can neither brace for it or you can evade him somehow. Well, you know, you can prepare to get tackled. But in this in this league, it's they're come and flying in the safety. If you're catching the ball facing your quarterback and it's safety, you can come and just clean you up.

Where you can't really do that. Rugby league, it's got to be you know, it's all kind of in front of you. You mentioned tie a couple of times, and you mentioned in your position coach Jim Bob Cooder ti kind of taking you under his wings a little bit. Yeah, definitely, especially you know in April in our spring camp, he was you know, we're all living at the av together. Would he would help me out like pretty much every day out of training, even we did some study sessions

at the a F F on our days off. So he was one person that you know, really helped me throughout this kind of transition into the NFL with the Jets, and you know it's um, He's helped me a lot. Whether it's because he's obviously transitioned from wing wing so receiver to run him back and he knows a lot, so he's um, you know, helped me out a lot through this, and also the other boys have helped me

out a lot as well. Leave But since Laveland Bell has been coming in, always been saying, is lower your pads just because in the first few games I was running quite high. You know, the players were getting under me, so I needed to low my pads. And I felt like in that last game I was doing that a lot, and I was just from these guys just keep getting

into me and help me out. Why the success in the passing game because a lot of guys, I would imagine might be making the transition and say, well, I can take your hand off and I'll try to find the hole. But you've seen to be quite adequate as far as catching the boy out of the backfield. Yeah, I'm not sure. I just you know a lot of the boys have mentioned that I've had no that I've got good hands and can catch a ball. And obviously the quarterbacks are quite they're quite good and they can

put it on the spot for you and so. And I just feel like when I do get moved motioned out or if I am like kind of in the slaughter out and why, I just feel like, you know, not, you're not out there that often. I try to make the most of every opportunity I get out there, and um, you know, I got pretty lucky that every time I was out there threw it to me. So uh yeah,

I don't know it so well. Moving forward, now, we talked a lot about lifetime goals in one mouth, but in terms of this year, you're the eleventh practice squad player. You have an exemption because of the International Pathway program. What is your goal now as as terms of as far as growth goes as an NFL player taking this year on the practice squad and trying to improve your game throughout this year before next spring and training camp and so on. Yeah, just the you know, I wanted

to experience the whole season. Um, you know, obviously we got a home games and stuff, and we'll watch all the games and just experience what it's like throughout the week. Taking the house serious it is because it's a real games on a preseason aim and um, you know, obviously get better at everything I've have to do. Um, and just I'm just trying to kind of be on my feet. I'm looking too far into the future at what i

want to do. But you know, I'm just I'm really excited to be here, very grateful her Jets gave me the opportunity to be on the practice squad, and you know, I'm just here for to support the boys and help them out wherever I can on the on the field. For that scap. How long have you and Natalia have been together? You just got married in April, and um, what if she meant to you throughout your life? Yeah, we've actually been together since high school, so it's high school,

sweet artists. She's pretty much been my rock. She's been there through everything I've done from whether I was in under twenties and through when I started playing first grade, she was always there to support me and um, and now she's over here on the other side of the world. She left their family and we have a little dog and she was really sad to leave leave Leo. So you know, she left her left everyone for me and

to obviously be here with me, and um. You know she does things like that which you know really helps me out and everything I'm doing. And um, yeah, she's pretty much you know, I've been the one that's kind of been pushing me. Where did you guys go on your honeymoon before you came to New York. We actually haven't done a honeymoon as well. When I got married was two days later I came into Chinese So then, where would you like to honeymoon? We've been talking about

going to the Maldaes. Um. Yeah, that's some that we've both wanted to do it for a while, but we don't know. It's quite expensive, but try to figure that out in the off season. I just want to do you have anything else? I have one final question if you go for all right, this is this is kind of random question. So I've been in too Australia a couple of times, and a lot of Australians have pretty good American accents. Do you have a good American accent?

I don't had a good accent, but I've picked up a few, you know, words that the boys to be saying. And it's only like a little okay, like what, um, you know some of the boys say finner. I know what that means. And and it's uh, you know, always hearing on movies or songs or some of that. So it's that's pretty cool. He put me on spot. Um,

you take your time. Yeah, I don't know. I just I used to live with the guy J J. Jones in the in Spring and he's from Missisiubi down south, so whenever he told I'd barely understand what he was saying. But um, you'd say something some crazy stuff that you know'd be you'd just see it in movies, because obviously we will watch you know, American movies. It's quite cool

to kind of be around and all that. But maybe if you get me on I might be able to alright, well that next time I see in the locker room, you can who's your favorite actor you're talking about? Movies. Yeah, go bas Denzel Denzel Son, Um, I want to know. I wanted to know if you were going to Crow there, Russell Crow. I've only seen a few of his movies. Okay, watch too much of him? Yeah you know someone else? Uh Liam Neeson, you can't go wrong. Yeah, all right, Val,

appreciate your time. You did a great job as the first guest on the Official Jets Podcast. What do you think about New York? By the way I did it? I want to ask one Jets drive. Tremendous job by a production crew and yourself as far as your appearance on it. But are you gonna make stops throughout the year in the city at a couple of these Rugby league places where your fans gather and watch some games. Yeah?

I mean yeah, I wouldn't mind it if if time permits, If if time permits you, if I have a day off or whatever, I can get in there. Like I said, it's like an hour tray and rode from from Madison's. Uh I from from up for it or whatever. But yeah, it'd be it'd be cool to you want to sit down there, you know, watch for you con fans buy your pints so they gotta wait until the point. That's a big that's a big drink. Can I buy you and I buy you a drink about that? I mean,

if if I'm allowed to you. Yeah? All right, Well, val appreciate the time and best of luck this season. Thanks Gus, Thanks having Okay, so how about Valentine talking about casually running. Yeah, that's ridiculous. You run every day? No, no, but I casually ran a half marathon a few years back and my legs felt like cement afterwards. But that just speaks to this kind of shape of professional athlete. Is okay? I was because I was gonna ask you

frequently run with your dog? But could you imagine just getting up? And obviously he didn't just wake up and decide he's gonna run. He's played in rugby league, so the conditioning was there, But to me, that's still crazy. List His wife is obviously very driven. Anybody who's run multiple marathons in their time, that speaks to their mindset. So that's a great pair. And when your wife's running

a marathon, I gotta imagine you're saying yourself, I gotta finish. Yeah, And and I will say that I thought it was I wonder how quickly Vow's wife would have completed the marathon and had Val not been there, because he did. I mean, based on what Val was saying, she's quite the runner. He didn't really jump on that, But I do want to bucket list from him at some point because again, rugby league star runs the New York City Marathon. How he's a member of the New York Jets. It's

a hell of a line. Yeah, I feel like I'd like to accomplish something of similar magnitude for just one of those things, not let alone three before the age of Yeah. And I know, I feel bad for some folks over there because if you're a fan of the Sharks, my friend, my my friend true story, I didn't say this to him, but my friend as a fan of the Sharks, and when Val signed here, he texted me immediately and was like, you gotta watch out for this guy. Da da da da da, He's part of my favorite team.

Because you know, let's bring Michael Jordan back into the conversation by saying, you know, he talked to compare. He took some time off after his father's tragic death, and then he went to minor league baseball So if you're a Bulls fan, you love Jordan's come back to the balls, which he ultimately did it. I think that's a to me. The first thing that stuck out in my mind to try to compare I didn't do it was Andrew Luck somehow compare that situation of Valentine's. It's completely different. But

Michael Jordan, that's a very good example. So I'm glad you brought that up, and again, please leave us a review. The Official Jets Podcast is back for two thousand nineteen, better than ever. You got questions, will answer. We're gonna have awesome, no doubt, no doubt. Stay tuned Lee this review, Apple Podcast, Spotify, SoundCloud, wherever you want to find a podcast, find us and we'll see you next week.