Intense Holts have enjoyed being reunited on the field
Back in the summer, Ben Holt was the new guy. But it didn’t take the grad transfer from Western Kentucky long to get ensconced into the program.
“I came in, and everyone was open arms,” said the fifth-year senior. “Guys on the team were great dudes. They were welcoming, asking me to come hang out and all these different things. I just wanted to stay in my own lane.”
But Holt couldn’t “stay in his own lane” for long. This was a defense that needed leaders. The unit began the season without senior tackle Lorenzo Neal, who was recovering from offseason knee surgery and still has yet to play in 2019. Then, after the second game of the season, fifth-year senior linebacker Markus Bailey suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice.
Just like that, Purdue was without its two best players on defense and two captains. Holt had to stepped up to become the leader on a Boilermaker defense that has played better as the season has gone on.
“With all the injuries and stuff, I had to pick up a role you don’t see often out of guys so fresh and so new,” said Holt. “But, it’s awesome. I really enjoy hanging out with my teammates and playing with them. It’s awesome.”
In some ways, Holt has been an extension of this father: Purdue defensive coordinator Nick Holt.
“He has his hands going this way, telling guys to go left, to go right,” said Nick Holt. “He’s our general. Really, he’s the glue that holds us together. And he’s having fun. He loves the kids here, he likes this teammates. He likes Purdue. He just wants to finish strong for you guys.”
Ben Holt has been as impactful as advertised. He arrived from Western Kentucky with a reputation as a bulldog. He’s just 5-10--if that--but Holt is a dervish in the middle of the defense, making tackles from sideline to sideline. To put it in coaching parlance: Holt plays like his hair is on fire. And it’s an intensity he picked up from his father, who is famous for his demonstrative sideline coaching style.
“He is cool unless he’s in football mode,” said Ben Holt. “Then, you better be careful. Especially if you’re a player, he’s gonna get into you big-time. Other than that, he’s a cool dude.”
Holt has (mostly) stayed on the good side of his fiery father. He is second in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation in tackles, averaging 9.9 per game. He has 99 tackles in 10 games, with six TFLs and a sack. Holt will look to add to that total in the last two games. This week, Purdue is off.
“Obviously, the mood is a lot better (coming off back-to-back wins vs. Nebraska and at Northwestern), especially going into a bye week,” said Holt. “So, we are feeling good. We are starting to play more together. We are starting to enjoy each other’s company. We are just starting to come together as a team.”
The timing is right to get hot. The Boilermakers (4-6 overall; 3-4 Big Ten) play at Wisconsin on November 23 and then finish at home vs. Indiana on November 30. Purdue needs to win both games to become bowl eligible. Then, just like that, Holt’s one season in West Lafayette will be over.
“It’s everything I expected,” said Holt. “It’s awesome to get to play for my old man, for sure. Sometimes, we get into it and sometimes that gets interesting. And he is on me pretty hard, but I enjoy it. It’s pretty cool and something special. I really do enjoy it.”
Nick Holt feels equally blessed.
“As a dad, what a great blessing, obviously,” said the third-year Boilermaker defensive coordinator who got to coach Ben when both were at Western Kentucky “And I have to pinch myself. Hey, this doesn’t happen very often, getting to coach your kid in the Big Ten Conference at this type of level where it means something.”
As for coaching his son hard ...
“I get on him,” said Nick Holt. “I get on him hard as a coach. Really, harder than anybody because I expect him to do so well or to get guys lined up and to do things right. It has been a great blessing. I have to remember to cherish these times. They don’t last forever. I have to make sure to remind myself to have fun while I do this.”
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