Somewhere in Cortland, N.Y., Mark Sanchez started twitching, and he doesn’t know why.
Wide receiver Santonio Holmes got some elder counsel Friday morning at training camp, from none other than Keyshawn Johnson.
That’s right, the Jets’ high-maintenance receivers past and present, together at last.
“It was a big brother-to-little brother talk,” Holmes said, via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “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.”
Having the guy whose book was called “Just Give Me the Damn Ball” in Holmes’ ear might not be the best thing, considering the coach just reminded him to play wide receiver and not try to be the offensive coordinator.
But Johnson said of Holmes: “"He’ll grow up. He’ll get there. I’m not worried.”
“All eyes are you,” Johnson said, when asked what he told Holmes. “If you can do it — and you’ve done it before — you can write your ticket.”
Of course, what Holmes has done mostly is create the division himself. He’s been critical of the offensive line, of Sanchez, of two-quarterback systems. And even though most of his public relations wounds are self-inflicted, he also suggested that the New York media should be more supportive.
No one has worked the media better than Johnson — from both sides of the table, as a player and a broadcaster — so his advice may actually help Holmes.
But that probably doesn’t help Sanchez sleep any better at night.