This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sandy • Two weeks after being selected fifth overall by Real Salt Lake in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, Omar Holness strolled through the lobby of a beach-side hotel in Oceanside, Calif., the smile he's known for on full display.
Relaxed in flip-flops, shorts and a T-shirt, the Jamaican midfielder out of the University of North Carolina in no way looked the part of a wide-eyed rookie a few days into his first camp as a professional trying to sort out how he'd be most effective in Year 1 at his new club.
"I just believe at the end of each day, if I ask myself the question, 'Did you learn anything today?' I should always say, 'Yes,' " Holness said.
That was on Jan. 29.
Six weeks later, Holness was part of his first game-day roster in RSL's 2016 home opener on March 12. He was a link in the chain that surrounds captain Kyle Beckerman as he trumpeted his pre-game speech. The central midfielder who fancies himself as a versatile talent that can play in several spots on the field, Holness saw things playing out the way he expected. The next day he turned 22.
A few more well-rounded training sessions featuring a few more solid tackles and concise passes, and who knows, maybe he's on track for his first-team debut in the first month of the season. His professional debut came on Saturday, March 26, suiting up for Real Monarchs in their USL opener against St. Louis FC.
He wore No. 27.
The 34th minute
Thirty-four minutes into game No. 1 of what he hoped would be continual climb upward as RSL's high draft choice, Holness hit the deck. There lay RSL's top draft pick on the green turf at Rio Tinto Stadium, his body convulsing so violently that his left shoulder was thrown and separated from the socket.
The 2,453 in attendance that night looked on as the career of Omar Holness was tossed into the air. Teammates Devon Sandoval and Max Lachowecki immediately helped clear Holness' airway, sticking fingers into his mouth to ensure he didn't choke on his tongue.
"If they weren't there to help me and do what they did," Holness said, "who knows what could've happened."
An ambulance drove slowly onto the pitch at Rio Tinto to conclude a 20-minute delay. Over the next few hours, much of the soccer world waited on the prognosis. Once Holness came to, he felt the radiating pain of his shoulder. He underwent a CT scan that Saturday night at a Salt Lake Valley hospital. Results came back negative around 11 p.m., which led to his release.
Less than 48 hours later, Holness returned to the Rio Tinto Stadium locker room, his left arm in a sling and a smile on his face. The following days and weeks featured what seemed like an endless flow of support, he said. As he described in one of his first full training sessions back this week, his Twitter mentions "blew up, to be honest."
"I believe, to this day, it was those prayers from everyone that healed me and has healed my shoulder and is what made everything come back to normal," Holness said.
Back to work
As most midfielders do when they're tracking Javier Morales in training, Holness looked a tad off-kilter. The 36-year-old Argentine trotted along with the ball at his feet, turning his head to his left before bursting to his right. Holness was beat, and in the process, stuck a boot to the shin of Morales.
Holness immediately apologized. Morales grimaced slightly, then smiled back. The young Jamaican needs to rely on these moments — the ones that have evaded him the last six weeks. He returned to no-contact training off-and-on a month ago, but now he's full-go.
"They know that it hasn't been easy," Holness said of the club's veterans. "They've been through injuries, they know what it's like coming back. … They're there for me, and sometimes they show me tough love, but I think I need it."
A few minutes later, Holness threads a ball from midfield through a wave of players that snags the attention of RSL general manager Craig Waibel. First things first, Waibel says. Holness needs to get back to his premium fitness and sharpness level to work his way back into contention for game-day rosters. That means minutes with the Monarchs.
"He's a guy we really believe in the long-term," Waibel said. "Where Omar finds himself now is no different than the beginning of the year. He's a quality player. He just needs to come in, be himself and stick to what he does well."
Once the day's intense training session was brought to a halt, Holness admitted afterward that he is inching his way back to where he felt he was before he collapsed on the field six weeks ago.
"It will come back," he said.
'I'll say a prayer'
The cause of the seizure remains unknown. But every test result — and there's been plenty of those — has come back normal. Holness has been cleared by several doctors, which puts his mind at ease. He's out to make sure that upon reflection of the 2016 season, the first thought isn't of him being loaded into the back of an ambulance 34 minutes into his first game as a pro.
"With every year, you have setbacks," he said. "I just see this as one setback to this year, of course. Just to move forward and forget it."
He was named to Jamaica's 40-man preliminary roster for this summer's Copa America Centenario in the U.S. The final 23-man roster for every team needs to be submitted by May 20. Holness says he's lucky to be back so quickly after the episode on March 26. His shoulder will not need surgery, which is a plus. The few times it's been tested in 1-on-1 battles in practice, it's held up well.
As he's reiterated, he's moving forward. And taking aim at the next time he can play a competitive match.
"No nerves, but certainly satisfaction in the fact that I'm able to get back on the field," Holness said. "Just being grateful. I'll say a prayer up to God before I go out there, that's for sure."
The RSL midfielder has certainly learned a lot from each day so far this year. More than most rookies.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
About Omar Holness
Position • Midfielder
Age • 22
Hometown • Kingston, Jamaica
Pro career • Drafted No. 5 overall by RSL in 2016 MLS SuperDraft
International career • Regular of Jamaica's U-17 and U-20 teams before making his first senior national team appearance in 2014. Holness was part of the 2015 Gold Cup roster and is named to Jamaica's 40-man preliminary roster for the Copa America Centario this summer
College career • Scored four goals and had 11 assists in 59 career appearances at the University of North Carolina. A former first-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore in 2014. —
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