May 8, 2003

MIKE PERRIN Birmingham News staff writer

Aryvia Holmes is leaving pro football's smallest stage for its largest.

Holmes is leaving behind af2's 50-yard, temperature-controlled indoor arenas for the Canadian Football League's all-outdoor, sometimes frigid 110-yard fields.

Holmes, who in his five-game Birmingham Steeldogs career averaged 117.4 yards receiving per outing, has signed with the Montreal Alouettes. He reports to training camp with the defending Grey Cup champions in about two weeks.

"It's going to be a grand transition," said Holmes, a Midfield High standout and Samford University record-breaker. "It's wide open up there, so I should definitely benefit from it, being a wide receiver.

"I ended up doing well in arena ball with not enough room. I hope I can do well in Canadian ball with too much room."

Holmes, a 5-foot-11, 190-pounder, caught 46 passes for 587 yards and 13 touchdowns as a Steeldog. He also returned 10 kicks for 224 yards for coach Bobby Humphrey.

"How do I feel? I'm hurt, man," Humphrey said. "I feel pretty bad that he's leaving so soon.

"I felt Aryvia was good enough to move up. He contributed a lot to our team. He's got great hands. He's intelligent and he has great ability. We're going to miss him around here."

Holmes was named the NCAA I-AA Independent offensive player of the year after his senior season in 2002. He set Samford's career reception record in the first game of his senior season. He also broke the career receiving yardage record and the single-season receiving yardage mark. Holmes finished his college career with 210 catches for 2,955 yards and 19 touchdowns.