Billy Holmes ’25
Staff Writer
This Saturday, November 16, former Holy Cross football player and track star Kalif Raymond will be inducted into the College’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame. Although Raymond is currently a key contributor to one of the best teams in the NFL in the Detroit Lions, his journey to the most prestigious stage in the sport was anything but easy or straightforward.
During his senior season at the Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Ga., Raymond ended up breaking his ankle, which forced him to miss the majority of the football season. Raymond had yet to secure a scholarship offer from a Division 1 school, which brought forth a great deal of stress upon him. After reaching out to many schools via email in hopes of securing an athletic scholarship, Holy Cross was one of very few schools at the time who expressed interest in Raymond. After Raymond’s official visit, Holy Cross became the only school to offer Raymond an athletic scholarship to play Division 1 football, which he accepted.
In his first season as a Crusader, Raymond appeared in 10 games, typically returning kickoffs and punts. Despite not having a prominent role on the offensive side of the ball, Raymond made the most of his opportunities as a returner as he finished the season with 777 yards on 32 kickoff returns. Due to his tremendous work as a returner, Raymond took home several honors such as First-Team Patriot League and being selected to the College Sports Journal National All-Freshman team. When his sophomore year came around, Raymond was able to continue his stellar production as a returner while simultaneously taking on more responsibility as a wide receiver. In addition to his 26 kickoff returns for 548 yards, Raymond caught 42 passes for 548 yards and ended the season with 4 touchdowns (3 Receiving and 1 Rushing). At the conclusion of the season, Raymond proved to be one of the most versatile, impactful players on the team as he led the team in all-purpose yardage with 1,047 yards.
When his junior year rolled around, Raymond looked to continue his strong play on the football field, while also taking up a second athletic endeavor as a Crusader. Due to his experience and success running track in high school, Raymond decided he wanted to join the track and field team at Holy Cross. The Holy Cross football coaching staff gave him the green light to join the college’s track team under one condition: He could not miss any football activities. Despite the time crunches which Raymond found himself facing as a result of being a two sport athlete at Holy Cross, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to take on both sports.
During an interview on the Sader Stories Podcast, Raymond discussed the manner in which balancing football, track, and academics allowed him to mature as an individual and improve his time management skills. He also fondly reminisced about running to football practice in his track pants while he tried to arrive extra early in order to catch punts. Once his junior season came to an end, Raymond started 9 games at wide receiver and ended up with 39 receptions, 305 receiving yards and 2 touchdown receptions. He also continued his great work on special teams as he ended up with 149 yards on 8 kickoff returns and 121 yards on 13 punt returns. Based on his season totals, Raymond finished the year in the top 25 in the country for punt returns and in the top 100 in the nation for receptions. On top of his success catching passes and returning punts, Raymond also proved that his decision to run track was a splendid one. Raymond finished 8th at the 2015 Patriot League Outdoor Championship, and he came in 2nd in the 100-meter dash at the 2015 New England outdoor championship. Overall, his junior year was a pivotal period for Raymond as a student, as an athlete, and as an individual.
In his senior year as a member of the Holy Cross football team, Raymond went out with an incredible season. In 11 games at wideout, he caught 74 passes for 978 yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. Continuing his fantastic contributions on special teams, Raymond returned 14 kickoffs for 335 yards and a touchdown; along with 21 punt returns for 210 yards and a score. At the end of the season, Raymond led the team with over 1,500 all purpose yards and he ended his career as a Crusader with 4,059 all purpose yards which put him 5th all time in Holy Cross history. By the time his athletic career at Holy Cross came to an end, Raymond was a two time All-Patriot League first team honoree and a two-time All-New England selection on the track. As a result of his determination and success, Kalif Raymond’s induction into the College of the Holy Cross’ Varsity Club Hall of Fame is something that is not just deserved; it was something that was purely earned.
Featured image courtesy of Detroit Free Press
Copy Edited by Sophia Olbrysh ’28
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