When future Hall of Fame wide receiver Torry Holt said earlier this off-season he'd be very interested in finishing his career with the Carolina Panthers once his contract with the St. Louis Rams is over in two years, it caused quite a stir, especially in the St. Louis area where Holt is wildly popular.

   But Holt's younger brother, Terrence, who plays for the Panthers, said his brother was simply speaking his mind.

   "I think more than joking he was being realistic about where he is in his contract and where he is in his career," Terrence Holt said. "I think he has two years left and he will play. I don't think he said anything that is out of the realm of what can happen. He has two years left and after the two years are left he will begin to analyze where he's at in his career and health-wise and team-needs wise and everything. I don't think he said anything that was too out of bounds or too bad on St. Louis, or that disrepected the Rams management or the team.

   "I think he just being honest. We as players get looked at badly by being honest. But this is a brutally honest league and when teams make decisions and cut you, nothing is said about that. (They will say), "It's just the right move to make." I think he said something that he has two years left and after that if they don't re-sign him he'll see if he can get back to Carolina."

   Still, the news apparently didn't sit well with some in the Rams organization, prompting Torry to back out of bowling tournament with his brother in Charlotte last week.

   "We thought that might be too much. We thought with all of the uproar it would look too suspicious," Terrence Holt said. "We thought someone might superimpose a Panthers shirt on it might be too much. But anywhere I go he's always going to be because we're brothers and we're tight like that. It just so happens that he said that and this is his hometown and whenever anybody catches him in Charlotte hanging out with me there will be something said about that."

   Terrence Holt, who signed with the Panthers this off-season and is working as the second team free safety, said his goal is to convince his brother to play for Carolina. Of course, Terrence has to take care of his own business first. His contract expires after this season, so he must show management that he can be productive, too.

   "I'm trying to get him realed in," Terrence Holt said. "He's been up here a few times and began to fall in love with the area. I told him the next thing is you have to combine that with playing here. We'll see how it goes. I try to take care of myself  and give myself a home surface and set up shop and then bring him along. (To play with him), that would be the ultimate. That would be the capper on our careers. That would be something we dream about and hopefully will come true."