OXNARD, Calif. – Going into rookie minicamp, rookie undrafted free agent WR Traeshon Holden said that he was "coming for heads."
That confidence has not deteriorated in his first NFL training camp. In his preseason debut last Saturday, Holden's confidence grew after he led the team in receiving yards with 42 on two catches.
One of those grabs was for 35 yards down the sideline from Joe Milton, a play that's still reliving.
"It felt great. I'm still watching the catch to this day," Holden said. "It's just like 'Dang bro, I'm in the league.' I've dreamed of this since I was a little kid, so it's like, keep going for now."
In order to keep going, Holden trots onto the practice field with the same mindset every day, motivated by the fact that no team in the NFL utilized a draft pick on him.
"I'm the ultimate competitor. When I walk on the field, I'm the best player on the field," Holden said. "So just having that mindset. When I went undrafted, I came in the building angry like, 'Now they got to pay.'"
Making the roster is the goal of every player that steps onto the practice fields at River Ridge in Oxnard. It's a harder path for UDFAs like Holden, but he's controlling what he can control in order to give himself the best shot.
"The best thing for me, I feel like is consistency and availability," Holden said. "That's what keeps you on the field, that's what keeps you making the roster. I pride myself in just being that dog receiver where you can throw it to me and I'll make it happen any time."
Holden was the only undrafted free agent that the Cowboys brought in with no guaranteed money in his contract and just $3,000 in his signing bonus. While some may view it as disrespectful, Holden could care less.
"I wasn't really too much tripping about the money, I just needed an opportunity," Holden said. "Money, I'm good on that. Now it's like I'm trying to be in the league, one of the best."
What could be more valuable than money for some wide receivers? Being able to learn from guys like CeeDee Lamb, who is one of the best in the league and has taken Holden under his wing since his arrival.
"Just being around a bunch of great guys like CeeDee, watching him work, that's a blessing," Holden said. "Watching him do what he does, helping me all the time, it's been good. I'm going to keep growing as a player and keep getting help from all those guys…"
"The one thing I could take that CeeDee said that'll always stick is that I'm gonna go through every emotion in this league. I feel like I'm a very emotional person, so him just telling me that, it helped me kind of calm my emotions even more."
At times in the past, Holden's emotions got the best of him in college and it garnered a somewhat negative reputation going into the draft process. He's out to show himself and those around him that's not the case.
"I feel like the narrative around my name coming out of college was, it was negative," Holden said. "I'm trying to prove everybody that's not who I am, and prove to the coaches that y'all picked up a dog."
When the Oxnard portion of training camp wraps up on Thursday, Holden wants his coaches and teammates to think this of him as they get ready for the rest of the preseason:
"He came to work every single day, and he was competing every single day." Holden said.
