Holley played in the band at Abraham Clark High School in Roselle, New Jersey where he is the all-time leader in receptions (106), receiving yards (1,449) and touchdown catches (27).

He was a member of the 2004–05 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team that won the National Championship.

Holley walked-on to the Tar Heels men's basketball team, where he was a backup guard and scored 11 points in 15 games as a freshman.

[1] His 45-yard touchdown reception with 36 seconds left to play, was the go ahead score in a 31–24 win over Wake Forest University.

[7][8] Holley was the winner of Michael Irvin's football reality show 4th and Long and received an invitation to attend the Dallas Cowboys training camp.

Holley signed a futures contract with the Cowboys on January 22, 2010, after his previous agreement expired at season's end.

On September 18, during the second game of the season against the San Francisco 49ers, he was the team's third receiver because Dez Bryant was inactive with a bruised quadriceps.

He recorded his first NFL reception for 11 yards and made two more during the Cowboys' final drive in regulation, leading to overtime.

In overtime, after a three-and-out by the 49ers offense, Holley wasn't supposed to be on the field for the first series, but he replaced Miles Austin, who had tweaked his hamstring.

[11] He ended up making a 77-yard reception during Dallas' first offensive play, taking the ball to the 1-yard line and setting up the game winning 19-yard field goal by Dan Bailey.