A sad, sad day in the NFL world, as former Steelers defensive lineman Ernie Holmes, a member of the famed "Steel Curtain" defense of the 1970s, died last night in a car accident. He was 59.
Holmes was driving alone when his vehicle left the roadway and rolled over several times near Lumberton, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
``We are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and untimely death of Ernie Holmes,'' Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney said in a press release. ``He was a key member of our famous Steel Curtain defense, and many people who played against him considered Ernie almost impossible to block.''
Our deepest condolences to family, friends and fans of the former Steelers great.
Comments (3)
R.I.P. Ernie.....
So Ernie goes and joins Mike Webster, Jim Clack, Ray Mansfield, Steve Furness, Tyronne McGriff, and Terry Long all Steelers linemen from the SuperBowl and immediate post Bowl era.
RIP
What a shame, RIP Ernie. One memory I have of him was on that Superteams competition on ABC. The Steelers were playing the Vikings and they had like a 45 minute tug of war. I remember Ernie being the anchor of the team, laying in the sand exausted. He gave it his all in every competition.