Ernie Holmes Earnest Lee " Ernie " Holmes ( July 11 , 1948 – January 17 , 2008 ) , also nicknamed " Fats " , was an American football player who was most famous for his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1972 to 1977 . He was part of the famous Steel Curtain and played at defensive lineman . His fellow linemen during this period were Joe Greene , Dwight White , and L . C . Greenwood . He won two Super Bowl rings with them . Multiple Steelers players from the era have publicly stated that Holmes was as good as Joe Greene . While quarterback sack s were not an official NFL statistic during Holmes ' s career , the Steelers credit him with a career total of 40 , eighth on the franchise ' s all - time list . This includes team - high totals of 11 in 1974 ( including a stretch of six consecutive games with a sack , which ties him with Greene and Greg Lloyd for the longest such streak in team history ) and 10 . 5 in 1975 . He was intensely fierce on the playing field and was often characterized as the most feared man on the entire Steelers defense . However , Holmes was also characterized as wild , lacking personal discipline , and often out of control which led to his demise . At one point , both Holmes and his girlfriend at the time had an arrowhead shaved onto their heads . Holmes played college football at Texas Southern University and was selected by the Steelers in the eighth round of the 1971 NFL Draft . After growing impatient with his weight problems , the Steelers traded Holmes in 1978 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , where he failed to make the team coming out of preseason . He played three games for the New England Patriots in 1978 before retiring . In the offseason preceding the 1973 season , Holmes had an emotional breakdown while driving on the Ohio Turnpike and fired shots at a police helicopter that was pursuing him in the course of a chase . In 1986 , Holmes appeared in WrestleMania 2 . He also made some other appearances as a pro wrestler . His weight ballooned to over 400 pounds after his playing career ended . . Holmes ' s number 63 was later issued to All - Pro center Dermontti Dawson . The number has since been taken out of circulation as being " unofficially retired " in honor of Dawson . Television / Later Life . http : / / articles . boston . com / 2008 - 01 - 20 / bostonglobe / 29279523 _ 1 _ preacher - bowl - winning - steelers Until his death , Holmes lived in Texas , where he was an ordained minister / wrestler / actor . He appeared in an episode of " The A Team " in the 1980 ' s as well as becoming a preacher in his own church . " He settled down on a ranch near tiny Wiergate , a town of 461 close to the Louisiana border . He was an ordained minister , had his own church , and told the Steelers he was a more " spiritual being . " " Shooting . On March 16 , 1973 , He was charged in the shooting of a Highway Patrol Heli - pilot , after being chased for shooting at trucks on the highway . He was found in the Goshen township , in a field near his abandoned car . When apprehended he threw his gun away and put his hands up , he was given 5 years probation . This was his self described " stone crazy " point in his life . He was diagnosed with acute paranoid psychosis , and was believed to be very depressed and have troubles in his marriage . Even through all this he had another 5 seasons with the steelers before being traded due to his weight problem ' s . Death . Holmes died in a one - car accident near Beaumont , Texas on the night of January 17 , 2008 . Holmes was driving alone when his car left the road and rolled several times , about from Houston , a Texas Department of Public Safety dispatcher said . He was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from his automobile and was pronounced dead at the scene the Texas DOT stated . References . http : / / articles . boston . com / 2008 - 01 - 20 / bostonglobe / 29279523 _ 1 _ preacher - bowl - winning - steelers