University of Minnesota Athletics
Heart of it All; Gopher Junior Jerry Holman
1/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
In two years at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Holman was able to develop his talents and make progress toward his goal of becoming a Golden Gopher. With his enhanced talents, Jerry was able to achieve his goal, which has brought about a change in atmosphere for himself and a sense of stability for his Golden Gopher teammates.
"Junior college helped me a great deal. I worked hard in the two-and-a-half or three years I was there and it turned out well," Holman said. "That hard work got me here and I'm happy to be here. Minnesota is a big change from junior college, but I'm happy I made the change."
"As athletic as he is, it is great knowing that he is on the court with you," senior Dusty Rychart said. "I think junior college really helped develop his talent and I think he has really adjusted well from that level to this one. His talents have really helped us adjust and become an even better team."
The adjustment from junior college to Division I basketball was a smooth one for Holman, so much so that his focus has always been how he will contribute to the success of the team. That sense of "fitting in" was never really an issue for Holman, because he knows where he fits - contribute off the bench and liven up the fans and the team.
"I think I fit in by being the man who comes off the bench and tries to keep things going," Holman said. "I'm always trying to just hype up the crowd or hype up the team and simply get wins. I try to get the crowd going and bring as much excitement as possible. I look to be the spark off the bench."
That spark is something teammates and fans alike look forward to and can count on during every game. His offensive spark, coupled with his strong defensive ability, is what make Jerry's role a benefit to Golden Gopher basketball and help get the crowd involved.
The Williams Arena fans didn't have to wait long to see Holman's ability to change a game in a matter of seconds. In the season opener against Mercer, Holman erupted. He made a steal and scored six points, two on thunderous dunks, all in a 33-second span on the way to a 17-point night.
Holman would define his role as a defensive player, who is out to excite the crowd and score only when the moment is right. "My role is to just go out and make the team happy," Holman said. "I just want to play a lot of good defense and score when I need to. I just want to make the team happy and get the crowd involved as much as possible."
"Jerry has really brought a lot to the team defensively. We haven't really had someone who has been so focused on defense as Jerry," Rychart said. "He has also been a great spark offensively and helps add that extra bit of energy. We really need him because he helps create problems with opponents with that energy and strong competitive attitude."
In the line of action, the competitive advantage for the Golden Gophers lies in Holman's ability to push through any given situation. He is reliable, dependable, a real team player, but like all team players, he does not rely solely on himself. Take the "if you were stranded with anyone who would you like to be stranded with" scenario. Holman does not turn to the usual supermodel or superstar actress. Rather, he turns to those he can count on most to push him through the toughest situations - his teammates - and likewise they know they can always call on him.
"If I were stranded with anyone, I'd like to be stranded with Dusty because he fights all the way to the end he never gives up," Holman said. "When we look at each other eye-to-eye, we know we have to keep pushing. In the middle of a game we just have to look at each other and we know we have to keep driving to make things happen."
"One of the things about Jerry is that you always know that he will give his all," Rychart said. "He is very dependable. He's the best sixth man with his versatility and ability to keep the momentum going. His contribution will definitely help us go to new levels."
In his first season at Minnesota, Holman has already built himself a foundation by showing his teammates his reliability and developing an impressive fan base that includes a fan club, "Jerry's Kids". However, this season, Jerry has not only earned a little more than trust from his teammates, but has also found that respect is easily earned if hard work is a regular regimen.
"I think I've earned a little respect from the crowd and from my teammates," Holman said. "I've earned a lot of love from the coaches and the rest of the team. I've earned a great deal of respect for myself as well. I realized how hard I can work what I can earn just by working hard and I love it."
Summarizing an individual's career is not something that is easily done. You can work on the winning resume, write memoirs, or collect all the newspaper clippings, but that does not necessarily mean that simply chronicling the progress you have made reveals the key to success. We have all heard the saying "you have to love what you do," and that holds true with junior Jerry Holman. In his first season at Minnesota, he has managed an average 8.7 ppg, 66 total rebounds, and a team leading and fan favorite 21 dunks. His key does not lie in pleasing the crowd or getting his name in the paper; it lies in one word "heart."
"The one word that sums up basketball would have to be `heart,'" Holman said. "I only say that because you have to have heart to play this game. If you don't have heart, you don't have anything."
The Fan Club - "Jerry's Kids"
If you look into the student section of Williams Arena, you will most likely see a group of about 20 students wearing t-shirts that read "Jerry's Kids." If you do not see them, you have most likely heard them, along with the majority of the student section, chanting "Jer-ry, Jer-ry, Jer-ry," after each amazing play. Jerry has noticed them and after each game, normally when the rouser is playing, he acknowledges the group by pointing at them with two fingers.
"It is very surprising, but also nice to know that there are people out there who enjoy watching me play," Holman said. "I love hearing them chant my name. It really hypes me up. I kind of want to just go out and jump into the crowd because they really get me excited, but you have to just hold it in and play the game."
They created the fan club around the third game of the season and had the shirts made for the Nebraska game. Many of them grew up in the metro area, however, some hail from nearby states such as Wisconsin and Michigan. They are his fan base, and, as surprising as it might be to him, they chose him to lead them through the next two seasons, but why Jerry?
"He's a real team player. He plays great defense and doesn't take a shot unless it's there. How can you not be a fan of someone who plays like that?"
"He's the best player off the bench and a strong force under the basket. He's the best sixth man, we have seen probably since Quincy Lewis. He's just very explosive. He's the spark off the bench."
"He's the most athletic guy on the team and he really gets the crowd going with his dunks. It's been a while since fans have been able to watch someone dunk like that."
"We'd like to thank Jerry for transferring and let him know that we think he'll be very fun to watch over the next two years."
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Tarcy Thompson
This season, the Golden Gopher basketball team has been through a lot of changes, including the addition of a few new names. The newcomers have each made an impact on the progress of the team by spending a season on the bench learning the way or through productive minutes on the court. However, junior college transfer Jerry Holman has not only made an impact on the team, but has also gained a plethora of followers with his incredible displays of talent on the court.
In two years at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Holman was able to develop his talents and make progress toward his goal of becoming a Golden Gopher. With his enhanced talents, Jerry was able to achieve his goal, which has brought about a change in atmosphere for himself and a sense of stability for his Golden Gopher teammates.
"Junior college helped me a great deal. I worked hard in the two-and-a-half or three years I was there and it turned out well," Holman said. "That hard work got me here and I'm happy to be here. Minnesota is a big change from junior college, but I'm happy I made the change."
"As athletic as he is, it is great knowing that he is on the court with you," senior Dusty Rychart said. "I think junior college really helped develop his talent and I think he has really adjusted well from that level to this one. His talents have really helped us adjust and become an even better team."
The adjustment from junior college to Division I basketball was a smooth one for Holman, so much so that his focus has always been how he will contribute to the success of the team. That sense of "fitting in" was never really an issue for Holman, because he knows where he fits - contribute off the bench and liven up the fans and the team.
"I think I fit in by being the man who comes off the bench and tries to keep things going," Holman said. "I'm always trying to just hype up the crowd or hype up the team and simply get wins. I try to get the crowd going and bring as much excitement as possible. I look to be the spark off the bench."
That spark is something teammates and fans alike look forward to and can count on during every game. His offensive spark, coupled with his strong defensive ability, is what make Jerry's role a benefit to Golden Gopher basketball and help get the crowd involved.
The Williams Arena fans didn't have to wait long to see Holman's ability to change a game in a matter of seconds. In the season opener against Mercer, Holman erupted. He made a steal and scored six points, two on thunderous dunks, all in a 33-second span on the way to a 17-point night.
Holman would define his role as a defensive player, who is out to excite the crowd and score only when the moment is right. "My role is to just go out and make the team happy," Holman said. "I just want to play a lot of good defense and score when I need to. I just want to make the team happy and get the crowd involved as much as possible."
"Jerry has really brought a lot to the team defensively. We haven't really had someone who has been so focused on defense as Jerry," Rychart said. "He has also been a great spark offensively and helps add that extra bit of energy. We really need him because he helps create problems with opponents with that energy and strong competitive attitude."
In the line of action, the competitive advantage for the Golden Gophers lies in Holman's ability to push through any given situation. He is reliable, dependable, a real team player, but like all team players, he does not rely solely on himself. Take the "if you were stranded with anyone who would you like to be stranded with" scenario. Holman does not turn to the usual supermodel or superstar actress. Rather, he turns to those he can count on most to push him through the toughest situations - his teammates - and likewise they know they can always call on him.
"If I were stranded with anyone, I'd like to be stranded with Dusty because he fights all the way to the end he never gives up," Holman said. "When we look at each other eye-to-eye, we know we have to keep pushing. In the middle of a game we just have to look at each other and we know we have to keep driving to make things happen."
"One of the things about Jerry is that you always know that he will give his all," Rychart said. "He is very dependable. He's the best sixth man with his versatility and ability to keep the momentum going. His contribution will definitely help us go to new levels."
In his first season at Minnesota, Holman has already built himself a foundation by showing his teammates his reliability and developing an impressive fan base that includes a fan club, "Jerry's Kids". However, this season, Jerry has not only earned a little more than trust from his teammates, but has also found that respect is easily earned if hard work is a regular regimen.
"I think I've earned a little respect from the crowd and from my teammates," Holman said. "I've earned a lot of love from the coaches and the rest of the team. I've earned a great deal of respect for myself as well. I realized how hard I can work what I can earn just by working hard and I love it."
Summarizing an individual's career is not something that is easily done. You can work on the winning resume, write memoirs, or collect all the newspaper clippings, but that does not necessarily mean that simply chronicling the progress you have made reveals the key to success. We have all heard the saying "you have to love what you do," and that holds true with junior Jerry Holman. In his first season at Minnesota, he has managed an average 8.7 ppg, 66 total rebounds, and a team leading and fan favorite 21 dunks. His key does not lie in pleasing the crowd or getting his name in the paper; it lies in one word "heart."
"The one word that sums up basketball would have to be `heart,'" Holman said. "I only say that because you have to have heart to play this game. If you don't have heart, you don't have anything."
The Fan Club - "Jerry's Kids"
If you look into the student section of Williams Arena, you will most likely see a group of about 20 students wearing t-shirts that read "Jerry's Kids." If you do not see them, you have most likely heard them, along with the majority of the student section, chanting "Jer-ry, Jer-ry, Jer-ry," after each amazing play. Jerry has noticed them and after each game, normally when the rouser is playing, he acknowledges the group by pointing at them with two fingers.
"It is very surprising, but also nice to know that there are people out there who enjoy watching me play," Holman said. "I love hearing them chant my name. It really hypes me up. I kind of want to just go out and jump into the crowd because they really get me excited, but you have to just hold it in and play the game."
They created the fan club around the third game of the season and had the shirts made for the Nebraska game. Many of them grew up in the metro area, however, some hail from nearby states such as Wisconsin and Michigan. They are his fan base, and, as surprising as it might be to him, they chose him to lead them through the next two seasons, but why Jerry?
"He's a real team player. He plays great defense and doesn't take a shot unless it's there. How can you not be a fan of someone who plays like that?"
"He's the best player off the bench and a strong force under the basket. He's the best sixth man, we have seen probably since Quincy Lewis. He's just very explosive. He's the spark off the bench."
"He's the most athletic guy on the team and he really gets the crowd going with his dunks. It's been a while since fans have been able to watch someone dunk like that."
"We'd like to thank Jerry for transferring and let him know that we think he'll be very fun to watch over the next two years."
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Tarcy Thompson
