The first of two Distinguished Letter winners in this year’s Hall of Fame class. Holden’s primary position was inside linebacker, but he re-wrote the record books as a kicker for the Norwich University football team in the late 1960s. He set new records at the time for seven different categories with best PAT kicking percentage, most PATs in a game and season, most consecutive placekicks after touchdown in a game and season, as well as most points scored after touchdown.
“Playing football for Norwich University was the greatest experience of my young life,” Holden said. “A lot of the people I played with have become life-long friends. We had a great defense in 1969 that ranked in the top 8 in Division III for statistics. We were No. 2 in total defense and No. 6 in rushing defense.”
Holden was a big part of that stout defense, collecting over 100 tackles and scoring the most “defensive points” on the team that year. Prior to his senior year, head coach Barry Mynter pulled Holden aside and tossed him a football and said, “Here Carl, learn how to kick this thing.” The rest was history as Holden went on to set nearly every kicking record in program history that year.
After graduating, Holden spent one year on the NU football coaching staff under Joe Sabol and Barry Mynter that he called the best year of his life. He then went on to a 21-year active duty service career with the United States Army where he won 10 different medals, including a Bronze Star.
He retired from the Army on Sept. 1, 1992 and then went on to work in public service for the Public Trust Authority in Duncan, Oklahoma for 11 years. He retired as a Lt. Colonel in July 2007.
Carl has been married to his wife Donna for over 41 years. He has one sister Pat Gose, and step brother Bob Coleman that started at defensive end for the University of Florida football team.
