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(that word again) a curse, too. What if the player never gets there? "Potential, what kind of word is that?" said George Smith, Holmes' legendary coach at St. Thomas Aquinas who is now the school's athletic director. "Sometimes you like to hear it and sometimes you hate to hear it. "But I thought that if Gabe got in the right spot and was looked after and matured, that he'd be a player who had a chance to do something and I hope that comes this year." Potential. It described Holmes back then when he was a tall, skinny basketball player who was trying to make a mark on the football field. And it's followed him ever since: When the Miramar, Fla., native committed to Purdue, then played in West Lafayette as a true freshman and sophomore, it was at the forefront of his characterization. It hit a peak a year ago, when then-Boilermaker head coach Danny Hope went so far as to call Holmes one of the best tight ends in the country. Potential. But there's good reason the word's been used frequently over the years. Look at him: Holmes is 6-foot-5, 247 pounds with large hands, bulging biceps; he'd be the first guy nabbed in a pickup game, probably in football or basketball. Heck, even soccer. Potential. "That's been the battle cry since I've gotten here, that 'Hey, this kid could be a great one. He's got a chance to play in the NFL,'" first-year tight ends coach Gerad Parker said. "As I told Gabe, we really don't want to talk about it anymore. He's got a year left, this is it. There's no denying he has great ability, can run, has great ball skills. He has all the intangibles of trying to become a great player. "But he is not a great player yet, and we've got to get him in a position where he is." Potential. Frankly, Holmes is sick of the description. Although Holmes won't come out and say so, Hope's high praise, which was echoed by then-offensive coordinator Gary Nord, probably did him little favor. He couldn't live up to the incredible hype, finishing the 2012 season with 25 receptions for only 158 yards, a measly 6.3 per catch, and two touchdowns. "It was kind of overwhelming," said Holmes, who 32 • Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 Tom Campbell Last season, Holmes had 25 catches, but few game-breakers, as they totaled only 158 yards. missed the final two-and-a-half regular-season games in 2012 with a rib injury. "You just expect so much and you make a mistake or do something wrong and it kind of takes away from you because that's not supposed to happen because they said you were perfect. Nobody is perfect. … It would get to me just because of the hype." Potential. "There's a point where my ears just shut off after a while. They're preaching potential," he said. "It's frustrating at some times, but you've got to look at the bigger picture. You've got to keep working. You can't quit because you are going to break through sometime. That's how I'm looking at it right now. "Especially during the summer I'm trying to, any time I think about football, do something in it, whether it's working out or looking in my playbook or doing some extra stuff just to make myself that much better." The physical work will help — while Holmes has improved significantly as a blocker, he has been hurt by drops over the years, including the miss at Ohio State — but a mindset adjustment might be his biggest hurdle. He was still battling it in the spring. Case in point: During a practice, Holmes was taking a break after being in with the first team for a series, but Parker wanted him back on the field. Mentally unprepared, Holmes was hesitant. "I gave him the expression that I was tired and he GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com