The Vienna Vikings have found their quarterback for the 2024 European League of Football season, as the team announced the signing of Ben Holmes.
Holmes joins the Vikings having last played in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts, during their Grey Cup winning 2022 season. Before joining the Argos, he had also spent time with the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Elks.
In the spring of 2022, Holmes was drafted 4th overall in the inaugural USFL draft by the New Jersey Generals, who selected him ahead of other quarterbacks with NFL experience. However, he suffered a foot injury before the start of the regular season and was released. Holmes had also spent time with the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League and the Sea Lions of The Spring League before being drafted into the USFL.
Holmes began his collegiate career at Nassau Community College on Long Island. After lighting it up there and being named a Junior College All-American, he transferred to Tarleton State University, (NCAA Div. II) in Texas. In two seasons there, he threw for nearly 6,000 yards and 62 touchdowns while throwing just nine interceptions. He also showed some mobility, as he ran for 560 yards and three touchdowns in that time. With Holmes under center, the Texans had an outstanding record of 23-2.
Though Holmes has not played in Europe before, and has not played substantially in a couple of years, the Vikings are confident enough in him to lead their offense next season. The 6′, 200 pound 29 year old native of Orchard Park, New York has proven he can be a great signal caller. After winning the championship in 2022, the Vikings are coming off a campaign in which they finished the regular season undefeated before losing their first playoff game to the Stuttgart Surge.
Vikings head coach Chris Calaycay:
“Besides him being an amazing person, Ben is an experienced, veteran player with lots of professional background in the US and Canada. He has all the skills that you are looking for in a league like the European League of Football. But most of all, it is his personality, his leadership qualities, and his work ethic. You can already see how dedicated he is to the Vienna Vikings.”