Jesse Holley ended up as the star of the game for the Dallas Cowboys in their come-from-behind win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 of the 2011 NFL season. He caught three passes for 96 yards and put Dallas in position to kick the tying field goal as time expired as well as the game winner in overtime. You could excuse the player for being overjoyed on the sidelines after his big time 77-yard catch and run.
Whether or not Holley will ever have a game like that again will be determined over time but, for now, this is one of the biggest moments of the man's life. Holley didn't earn his spot as a Dallas Cowboys through the draft or as a free agent walk on. He won a spot on the team through Michael Irvin's "4th and Long," a reality TV show. He was expected to get the chance with the team, spend time in training camp and then fade into memory with other reality TV stars, never to be heard from again until "Dancing With the Stars" calls.
But that was not what Holley wanted when he won the chance to be a Dallas Cowboys player. Holley wanted to prove he belonged. He spent two years out of the game and worked as a security guard before getting the chance on Irvin's reality show. He made the most of it.
When he showed up for his chance with the Cowboys, he kept working. He made the practice squad in 2009 and then made the team in 2010 as a special teams player. In the second game of his third season, he not only caught his first NFL pass but helped Dallas win the game.
Will he get another chance to shine this season? With Miles Austin out until the bye week and Dez Bryant still hobbled, he will get the opportunity. There is also the chance he will go down as a one-hit-wonder, but his head coach might have a soft spot for someone like Holley.
Jason Garrett was a lifetime backup for Dallas, playing most of his career behind Troy Aikman. Garrett is one of those amazing one-hit-wonders, despite a long career holding the clipboard at Dallas. In 1994, Garrett had to come in to replace an injured Troy Aikman because backup Rodney Peete was injured as well. Garrett never started a game in Dallas before that and saw little time on the field after that game. However, on Thanksgiving Day 1994, Garrett went 15-26 for 311 yards and two touchdowns to lead Dallas to a come from behind win over the Green Bay Packers.
The game was enough to cement Garrett's position in the Dallas Cowboys' legendary history and now he has the chance to coach the same team he played for. I am sure Garrett watched Holley's breakout performance and remembered that one day when another unlikely player became a star. I'm also sure Garrett will give Holley every chance to repeat that performance as a Dallas Cowboy.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players being Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Danny White and Randy White. Through the great years of the '90s and the hard times of the '80s, Shawn never turned his back on America's Team.
Source: Dallas Cowboys Official Website
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
