John Holifield
American football player (born 1964)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johnathan Mark Holifield (born July 14, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Romulus, Michigan, U.S.
| No. 40 | |||||||||||
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| Position | Running back | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | July 14, 1964 Romulus, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Listed weight | 202 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Romulus | ||||||||||
| College | West Virginia | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1987: 12th round, 328[1]th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Football career
High school
Holifield played high school football at Romulus High School in Romulus, Michigan.
College
Holifield arrived at West Virginia in 1983. During his first two seasons as a Mountaineer, 1983 and 1984, Holifield accumulated 388 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Holifield earned the starting running back job in 1984, as a junior. He rushed for 595 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with a receiving score, that season. In 1986, Holifield was elected team captain and totaled his best season statistically. He rushed for 645 yards and 3 touchdowns his final season as a Mountaineer.
Professional
Holifield was selected in the 12th round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 328th overall pick.[2] He was a member of the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals in 1988 and played three games for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1989 season. He was released in 1990.[3]
After football
Having received a bachelor's degree in political science in 1987, Holifield earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1996. He practiced law for five years, as a prosecutor in Cincinnati and in private practice by 1999. Afterwards, Holifield became involved in economic development.[3]
In 2006, Holifield became CEO of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy in Buffalo, New York.[4] In 2007, Holifield was picked to lead the Urban League of Greater Cleveland.[5][6]
On September 18, 2017, Holifield was named executive director of the White House initiative on historically black colleges and universities.[7][8]