The hiring of general manager Brad Holmes in 2021 may go down as one of the best moves in Detroit Lions franchise history. But nearly 20 years prior to that moment, the Lions had their first crack at Holmes, but didn’t end up landing him.
According to a story told by Holmes himself on the Field Talk Podcast, the Lions general manager was just starting his NFL career in 2003 when he faced a critical decision. His media internship with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks had given him the connections he needed for the opportunity he really wanted: to be in the NFL.