Holt is a native of Gibsonville, N.C., who played his college football at North Carolina State.
"I'm wanting to just send in my resignation to the Rams and see if I can join him out here," Holt said in the interview taped during the Holt brothers' annual golf tournament. "I'm excited and I'm also a little jealous because I've always wanted to have an opportunity to come back home."
So could Holt -- one of the last remaining vestiges of the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf" era that produced two Super Bowl appearances -- end up finishing his career playing for another NFL team like former Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce?
Holt, who will turn 32 on June 5, still has two years left on the seven-year, $42 million contract that he signed with the Rams in the summer of 2003.
And Terrence Holt signed only a one-year deal with the Panthers, meaning there is no guarantee that he'll still be with the team when his older brother hits the free-agent market in 2009.
"The real story is that I have this year and next year, and hopefully I can finish those years out," Holt said during the Rams' minicamp on Saturday. "Then I will see where I am at. I will see where I am at physically and emotionally and financially. Then, if they would like to do something here, I will consider it. If not, then I will have the option to go and explore and give my services somewhere else.
"If that happens, Carolina will definitely be my first choice. There is no question about it. I have 2008 and 2009 left to play and that is what I plan on doing."
On the prospect of playing his entire career with the Rams, Holt said, "I welcome that, and I am pretty sure that there are guys before me who have welcomed that. It doesn't always work that way. I am going to take it year by year. I have this year, so I am going to play this year and then I'll see how things go from there."
Holt said he misses Bruce, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers after being released by the Rams in a salary cap-saving move this winter.
"It is really different," Holt said of not having Bruce around. "You could always count on Isaac to come in and be ready to roll and be ready for the season.
"Not to see his locker and not to see him out there on the football field and not to see him in the stretching and the drills ... he is always the one in the front of the line and getting things going, so it is definitely different and is going to take some getting used to."
Holt said he doesn't feel like he needs to assume an even greater leadership role with Bruce gone.
Rams Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Pace said that Holt already is the vocal leader of the offense.
"The funny part about it is that Torry was always vocally the leader," Pace said. " I think everyone leaned toward Isaac as an example. Isaac never said a whole lot, as you know, but Torry has always been that vocal leader, and guys have always looked up to him for that leadership role. I think Torry is that guy."
The trials and tribulations of the Rams' 2007 season wore heavily on Holt, who had to fight through a nagging knee injury as the team struggled to a 3-13 record.
Holt unleashed a profanity-laced tirade against Rams coach Scott Linehan after a late interception in a 41-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 20. He later said he wished he had handled the situation differently.
Holt said he spent the offseason trying to relax. He attended the Pro Bowl in Hawaii in February, and then spent most of the next two months at his home in St. Louis.
"From a mental standpoint, I just wanted to relax and get away from the building and get away from football for a while so I can come back with a fresh mind and give the guys and my teammates what it is they need to go out there and try to win some more games this year and try to get our first playoff berth in a while," Holt said. "Everything is pretty much on schedule."
Holt said his balky knee was feeling better.
"It is a lot better than it was last year at this time, which is good," Holt said. "I've been training with (strength and conditioning coach) Dana LeDuc this past week getting myself ready. It is a lot better than it was last year at this time, so that is promising for me."
Holt also welcomed the hiring of former wide receivers coach Al Saunders as the Rams' offensive coordinator.
"It is good to have Al," Holt said. "He came in with instant energy. He has put an emphasis on resetting the standard of the way we play offense here, which is really good. What is really good to see is that a lot of the guys are buying into what he is trying to get accomplished. We are starting the right direction.
"Obviously, we have a long way to go, but guys are really taking heed to what he is saying and doing out there."
Contact reporter Steve Korte at skorte@bnd.com or 239-2522.
