Jets' Holmes returns, eager to prove he's big catch

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Santonio Holmes didn't have much need for an alarm clock Wednesday, all because he couldn't wait to climb out of bed and get back on the practice field for the first time in a month.

"I was a little upbeat this morning," the wide receiver said. "I was up early, walked my dog, got myself situated driving to practice. So I was ready to go. I sat in meetings at attention. Everything was a little bit different. Focus is a lot better."

With his four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy completed, Holmes practiced with his Jets' teammates Wednesday as they prepare for Monday night's matchup with the Vikings. The Jets knew they were going to be without the Super Bowl XLIII MVP when they traded for him in April, getting him for merely a fifth-round pick in this year's draft.

Pittsburgh got tired of Holmes' off-field incidents, which included getting charged with disorderly conduct as well as domestic violence in 2006. He wasn't convicted on either count. Holmes was also arrested in 2008 for marijuana possession, but the charges were dropped.

It's unclear what Holmes did to trigger the suspension because details of the NFL's substance abuse program as it relates to an individual player are confidential. A player in the program is regularly tested and has mandatory treatment and counseling.

Holmes, who split time between working out near his Orlando, Fla. home and hanging around the Jets' complex, was asked if he learned anything about himself during the suspension. "To look in your eyes, and be honest with you, not one percent," he said. "I've been the same person since I stepped foot in the NFL, I'll continue being the same person until I leave. That solidifies that question. I didn't have anything to think about. Everything was already done, in the process. Time to play football now."

Pressed later, though, about any possible reflection he did while being forced to sit out, Holmes said: "I made it to the Super Bowl and won it didn't I? That's all I had to do with myself. I didn't have anything to think about. I'm a football player. What happens off the field happens off the field. It doesn't affect anything I do or what I'm capable of."

Holmes' arrival should bolster an offense that's averaged 32.2 points and 394 yards during the past three games, though it means less snaps for Brad Smith at wide receiver. A three-wide look of Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery can cause some serious matchup problems for the opposition, especially given Holmes' penchant for stretching the field.

"I think he's just someone who has big play potential," quarterback Mark Sanchez said. "He has that ability to run by people. So we'll use him in the right spots. We'll just plug him in to what we've been doing and he'll be a great complement. He's got fresh legs, obviously, so it will be perfect for our group."

Holmes trained from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. daily, sometimes putting in work with personal trainer Tom Shaw. He lifted weights for about an hour and a half before going out to the field at 11 a.m. for the final two hours of his routine. He ran routes and even trained in a sand pit, all so he could be ready to contribute - whether it's in the slot or on the outside - immediately.

"It's going to be fun," Holmes said. "It's going to be trouble for a lot of defenses. It's going to be great for our offense to give Sanchez a lot of options to go to. If I'm playing there with Dustin [Keller], and definitely Jerricho - he's the go-to guy in the slot, he's reliable - and with me being able to do the same thing, I'm pretty sure it's going to be unstoppable."