He received the South Atlantic Conference's Defensive Player of the Year award, Little All-American honors and also played in the Blue–Gray Football Classic.

On August 14, 1993, during the first pre-season game, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and was lost for the season.

[3] In 1995, he started 6 games at cornerback in place of an injured Kevin Smith, while free agent Deion Sanders reached a contract agreement with the Dallas Cowboys.

[5] Holmes signed with the Miami Dolphins on February 26, 1997, reuniting him with former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson.

[6] Looking to play for the first time since November 1995, he failed another drug test that resulted in a 4-game suspension and his eventual release on October 13, 1997.

Holmes filed suit against the NFL for involuntarily enrolling him in a drug treatment program, after he tested positive for marijuana, but his claim was dismissed.