Holmes was nicknamed Fats, though his listed playing weight of 260 would be more fit for a linebacker than a defensive tackle these days. (Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated)
Greene and Holmes jostling in 1973. Greene was the fourth overall pick in the 1969 draft, out of North Texas State; Holmes was a 1971 eighth-rounder from Texas Southern. (AP)
Fats, Lynn Swann and the Steelers enjoy a victory in the 1974 AFC Championship Game, and the Steelers’ first trip to the Super Bowl. (Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated)
Wrapping up Minnesota’s Dave Osborn in Super Bowl IX. The Vikings gained just 17 yards on the ground. (James Drake/Sports Illustrated)
Holmes, Greenwood and Greene celebrate the 16–6 win over Minnesota, and Pittsburgh’s first NFL title. (James Drake/Sports Illustrated)
“Ernie is very much like Pittsburgh,” Chuck Noll once said. “Much better than its reputation.” (AP)
Holmes draws a bead on Robert Newhouse in Super Bowl X. (Neil Leifer/Sports Illustrated)
By January ’76, Holmes had let his trademark arrowhead grow out. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)
Ernie Holmes at a Steelers homecoming in 2007. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)