Who is Sam Huff's girlfriend Carol Holden? Legendary NFL Hall of Famer dies at 87
NFL Hall of Famer Sam Huff, who once ruled the game as a linebacker with the New York Giants, died at the age of 87 on Saturday, November 13, 2021, in Winchester, Virginia. Mourning his tragic demise, Giants Team President John Mara released a heartbreaking statement, saying, "Sam was one of the greatest Giants of all time. He was the heart and soul of our defense in his era. He almost single-handedly influenced the first chants of 'Defense, Defense' in Yankee Stadium. Following his retirement as a player from the New York Giants, Huff became an announcer with the Washington Redskins.
The legendary player's death was grieved by the whos who of NFL and hundreds of fans worldwide. The news of his demise was confirmed by his daughter Catherine Huff Myers. Though the exact cause has not been revealed yet, Huff's prolonged struggle with dementia was well-known, after his diagnosis in 2013. Huff is survived by his two children, Catherine and Joseph, three grandchildren, and his partner of more than three decades, Carol Holden.
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Team President John Mara on the passing of Giants great Sam Huff pic.twitter.com/qZhqXU2qB2
— New York Giants (@Giants) November 14, 2021
Who is Carol Holden?
Sam Huff divorced his wife Mary Helen Fletcher Huff in the late 1980s, around the same time when he fell in love with Carol Holden. It is, however, unclear, how and when exactly Huff and Holden crossed paths. But the star-crossed lovers have been together ever since, residing happily at Huff's horse farm in Virginia.
Huff and Holden were avid horse lovers and certified breeders of racehorses as well. In fact, the couple can be credited for starting the present-day West Virginia Breeders Classics program. The two were inspired by the Maryland Million championship of state-bred racehorses, and on a fall day in 1986, they decided they would recreate the same in their home state Virginia.
For over three decades, the duo stayed strong together and dedicated their time to raising racehorses, of course when Huff was not announcing for the Redskins. At the age of 82 years, it was revealed that Huff was suffering from dementia which could either be Alzheimer's or injury-related encephalopathy. However, trouble arose around 2016, three years after Huff was diagnosed.
The legendary linebacker ended up in the middle of an ugly court battle after his friends accused his daughter Catherine of kidnapping him. It was alleged that Catherine Huff Myers picked up her father for a dentist appointment, but never brought him back home. Rather, she took him to her home in Alexandria to live with her mother aka Sam Huff's ex-wife Mary Helen.
However, Catherine insisted that she has rescued her father after she noticed his mental state has deteriorated rapidly due to the lack of adequate care. She expressed her anger at the fact that Holden still let Huff drive even though he often got lost on his way and sought help.
On the other hand, over 20 of Huff's longtime friends blamed Catherine for not being in his life in the "past 40 years". His friend Gordon Keys said, "She wasn't in his life for the past 40 years. The first time I saw her was in court today. It's been an emotional situation, for all of us." Another friend added, "What I make of it is that he was kidnapped. He was taken under false pretenses."
Holden filed a lawsuit against Catherine over the issue and won the case, which allowed Huff to return home to his life partner. "He'll be so happy to be home with all his friends and on the farm. Hopefully it'll be an easy transition for him. We're going to have excellent care for him that's already been arranged," Holden had said at the time, adding, "Just happy he's coming home to Middleburg. That's where he always was and where he wanted to be. Can't wait to get him home."
Carol Holden has not released any statement after the tragic death of his partner and soulmate Sam Huff. We send our condolences to the family and hope they find solace amid the grief.