Adam Gagnon
CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts Football Club is pleased to announce that national OL Tyler Holmes, who was scheduled to become a free agent on February 10, has extended his contract with the club through the 2016 season.
Commented Argonauts General Manager, Jim Barker, “Tyler is one of the premier young offensive linemen in our League. He is developing into the player we thought he’d be when we traded into the first round to get him during the 2011 draft. Tyler has performed very well on our offensive line and we’re happy to keep him in Toronto.”
Holmes was drafted by Toronto in the first round, 7th overall, in the 2011 CFL Draft. He officially joined the Club in September of 2013 and played in four games, with 3 starts, at left guard as a CFL rookie. 
He provided stability and durability to the offensive line in his second season, starting all 18 games at left guard in 2014. The draft pick the Argonauts used to select Holmes in 2011 was acquired by Toronto, from Saskatchewan, in exchange for the 12th overall choice (LB Craig Butler) and the 27th overall choice (OL Alexander Krausnick-Groh) in the 2011 CFL Draft.
Holmes has also become a committed member of the Argonauts’ award-winning community programs. He is a player ambassador for the team’s Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program, presented by Tim Hortons, as well as the team’s joint project, along with White Ribbon Campaign and Status of Women Canada, called Huddle Up and Make the Call: A Gender-Based Violence Prevention Project, presented by Tim Hortons.
Commented Tyler Holmes, “My fiancé and I have built a life in Toronto. We love the city and the fans here so extending my contract was an easy decision. I enjoy playing for this team; the guys in the locker room have become my friends, and I have a great deal of respect for the coaching staff. I look forward to helping bring another Grey Cup to Toronto.”
The former Tulsa Golden Hurricane, who has also been a member of the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, was a two-year starter and earned Conference USA Honourable Mention as a senior.
A native of Ottawa, Ontario, his father, Richard Holmes, played 3 games for the Argonauts in 1977, and also dressed for the Ottawa Rough Riders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
