Former NC State wide receiver Torry Holt highlights 2022 NC Sports Hall of Fame class

Winning a Super Bowl as a rookie.

Making numerous Pro Bowls.

Setting NFL records.

Becoming a father.

Those were all life-changing moments in Torry Holt’s life, those that hold a special place in his heart and that he’ll always treasure.

Friday, Holt added another monumental moment to the list: The former N.C. State and St. Louis Rams’ wide receiver was one of 11 new inductees into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

For what he did in the NFL, Holt, who retired in 2012, is still recognized as one of the greatest Rams receivers ever. While the NFL Hall of Fame still eludes him, being recognized in the state where he grew up is as good as it gets.

“This is special because this is home,” Holt said. “North Carolina is where I was born and raised, this is the roots of who I am. I grew up watching ACC sports — Michael Jordan, Len Bias, James Worthy, Fire and Ice — just great talent in the ACC, here in North Carolina that inspired me to want to play athletics.”

Big Game Holt

Holt grew up in Gibsonville, N.C., where hard labor during his free time pushed him on the gridiron, to find a way out.

“I pulled tobacco,” Holt said at the podium during the Hall of Fame media day. “I vowed that I would never go back to that field, I gotta do something in sports.”

With that motivation in tow, Holt thrived on another field. At the time of his retirement, Holt was 10th in NFL history with 13,382 receiving yards and 13th with 920 catches.

He said those days pulling tobacco made his hands and forearms stronger, which translated to his pass catching skills.

“I respect the fact that I did it,” Holt said. “Because it made me who I am today.”

Holt caught 869 passes for 12,660 yards and 74 touchdowns with the Rams, who drafted him No. 6 overall in 1999. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, Holt was a first-team All-Pro wide receiver in 2003. That season, he caught 117 passes for 1,696 yards and 12 touchdowns. Holt led the NFL in all three of those categories that season.

Holt helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl title his rookie season, catching seven passes for 109 yards and one touchdown. Led by Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk and wide receiver Isaac Bruce, Holt was an important part of “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

As a rookie, Holt caught 52 passes for 788 yards and six scores. He had at least 80 catches for eight straight seasons. Holt is the record holder in several categories, including consecutive seasons with 1,300 receiving yards (6), consecutive seasons with at least 90 catches (6) and seasons with 1,600 yards (two, tied with four other players).

Holt, who started 147 games for the Rams, is second in franchise history in receptions (869), receiving yards (12,660) and receiving touchdowns (74).

The Gibsonville native was named the ACC Player of the Year in 1998 after catching 88 passes for 1,604 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s currently sixth on the ACC’s career receiving yards list.

Giving back to the community

After he was done in the NFL, Holt made his way back to North Carolina. Even though his playing time in his home state ended in 1998 when he left Raleigh, his presence is still felt across the Triangle.

For a couple of years, he was an assistant football coach at Heritage High School. He and his brother, Terrence, who also played at N.C. State, run Holt Brothers Construction.

Their mother, Ojetta Holt-Shoffner, passed away from cancer when the brothers were younger. Then, they started the Holt Brothers Foundation. Part of the foundation is a weekend in June with several events, including a golf tournament and flag football, that helps in their mission to support children who have a guardian or parent with cancer.

“It’s even better because we are home,” Holt said. “We are in the state we grew up in. I tell people you don’t have to leave home to do well. North Carolina and Raleigh are always home and I think that’s what makes this much more special.”

For the family

Holt comes from a long line of athletes, from his grandmother to his dad, to his aunt.

Growing up and playing sports in Gibsonville was just a way of life. Holt cherishes the fact that his loved ones are still around and were there to witness his playing career, and everything he’s done post-NFL. He feels like he’s taking them into the hall of fame with him.

“For them to be able to see their son and grandson carry on the tradition of sports,” Holt said. “For them to be able to go in with me, it’s special.”

Holt mentioned that the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame is a tough one to get in, with just 300-plus inductees all-time.

“Being inducted is a reminder that you did it at the highest level,” Holt said. “It’s hard, man. Some folks say it’s just local, no, this is a tough class, a tough fraternity to get into because there are so many great athletes who come through the state of North Carolina. For me to now be inducted in, it gives me some validation that I was alright.”

2022 N.C. Sports Hall of Fame class

Jonas E. Pope IV

The News & Observer

919-829-8911

Sports reporter Jonas Pope IV has covered college recruiting, high school sports, NC Central, NC State and the ACC for The Herald-Sun and The News & Observer.