A recent Rams great is retiring.
Former Colorado State tight end and New Orleans Saints rising second-year player Dallin Holker announced his retirement via social media July 22.
“I want to thank the New Orleans Saints, Colorado State, BYU, and Lehi High School for believing in me and giving me the chance to chase a dream I’ve had since I was a kid,” Holker said in an Instagram post.
Holker spent his first four college seasons with BYU before transferring to CSU for his redshirt senior season.
The Utah native instantly became an elite tight end, catching 64 passes for 767 yards and six touchdowns to become a Mackey Award finalist as one of the nation’s top three tight ends.
The most famous of those scoring grabs was a legendary CSU football moment.
Holker punctuated the Rams’ first-ever win over Boise State, hauling in the “Holy Holker” Hail Mary pass as time expired to complete CSU’s 20-point comeback in a 31-30 win over the Broncos.
“Over the past 15 years, football has given me unforgettable memories and lifelong relationships with teammates and coaches — things I’ll always hold close,” Holker said in his retirement post.
His impact was limited during his lone NFL season. Holker caught just three passes for 21 yards but was one of just four undrafted players to make the Saints’ initial 53-man roster in 2024.
While surprising, he wasn’t even the most prominent Saints player to retire July 22. He joined former NFL All-Pro and Super Bowl champion defensive back Tyrann Mathieu in announcing his retirement.
Holker was also named a second-team All-American and first-team All-Mountain West tight end during his 2023 breakout campaign.
He is one of two CSU players to be nominated for the Mackey, joining former CSU great and 2021 award winner Trey McBride.
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.