Keyshawn Johnson Talks With Santonio Holmes At Jets Training Camp

Keyshawn Johnson is giving advice to Santonio Holmes, his fellow outspoken Jets receiver, giving him some pointers when it comes to tuning out distractions and let his play talk for him.

Newsday reports that Johnson, who authored the book “Give Me The Damn Ball,” has created his own fair share of controversy over the years, including with Holmes himself. Maybe because of this, the Jets receiver knows a thing or two about playing through criticism.

Keyshawn Johnson, who was traded to the Jets in 2000 from the Buccanneers, is also an ESPN analyst. He spoke with teammate Santonio Holmes at the Jets training camp, saying:

“I learned early on as a rookie and second-year player, you can’t pay attention to what’s said or written about you. Don’t pay any attention. It’s only a little opinion. There’s so much more media now, so much more scrutiny with Facebook and social media, every little word people hang on it. You have to know that and let it roll right off your shoulders.”

Holmes, much like Johnson, has become adept at creating criticism, mostly because of what comes out of his mouth. Last season he was seen frequently criticizing the offensive line, and even occasionally expressed his frustration with quarterback Mark Sanchez, saying the two were not on the same page.

Santonio Holmes even blew up during a huddle in a the Jets’ season-ending loss to the Dolphins, screaming at his teammates. His actions caused offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to bench him in the final minutes of the game. Just last week, Holmes was seen criticizing the two-quarterback system during a television interview, saying that the Jets are heading down a dangerous path by allowing Sanchez and Tim Tebow to share snaps.

And it seems that Keyshawn Johnson’s talk with Holmes did some good, because when asked about it, ESPN reports that Holmes stated:

“It was a big brother-to-little brother talk. He was just teaching me to be cordial to everybody and to understand what gift I have to this football team and learning how to utilize it.”

Do you think that Keyshawn Johnson’s talk with Santonio Holmes will help the Jets’ receiver do better this year?