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After a process that included interviewing him and 11 others for the vacancy, Holmes won the Lions over and landed a job he didnt dream of when his NFL career began as a public relations intern in 2003. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Brad Holmes was not even a candidate when the Detroit Lions began their search for a general manager nearly two months ago. "I know me and Coach Prime, we all kind of had the same aspirations and the same motivation to kind of kick this thing off and I can't be more excited that I'm his first prospect in the NFL.© 2022 NFL Enterprises LLC. It was something I wanted to experience and it just kind of felt like the right timing. "Obviously with it being an HBCU, that also drew me there as well and my whole family we come from HBCUs and everybody from my immediate to my extended family has been going to HBCUs. 4 He made his first start for the club the following month, in a single-goal League One victory over Bristol Rovers at Bloomfield Road on 9 May.
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"Obviously having Deion there was just a huge factor in me going there," Houston said. Career edit Holmes signed a professional contract with Blackpool in the summer of 2020, and made his first-team debut for the club on 20 April 2021, in a League defeat at Rochdale. Houston also becomes the second-highest Jackson State player selected by the Lions, joining Hall of Fame defensive back Lem Barney who was taken in the second round of the 1967 draft. It was good to see progress made on that front."ĭetroit hadn't selected an HBCU product since 2013. 'Throughout our search for a new general manager, Brad was someone who stood out immediately,' Lions president and CEO Rod Wood said. Along with Rick Smith, these were top names expected to be in the mix in Atlanta. Holmes was the only one to have a second, in-person interview.
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"So, I was very happy to see, even before we took James, the others selected. The Falcons have also requested a GM interview with Rams college scouting director Brad Holmes, per source. "When it comes from an HBCU perspective, I know a lot was made in the past, especially last year about none being selected," Holmes said. There were no HBCU players drafted in 2021. He was the first Jackson State player to be selected since 2008 and among four HBCU player taken in this draft, joining Fayetteville State's Joshua Williams ( Kansas City Chiefs), South Carolina State's Decobie Durant ( Los Angeles Rams) and Southern's Ja'Tyre Carter ( Chicago Bears). Houston said he had no contact with the Lions before being drafted. He spent three seasons as an inside linebacker with the Florida Gators where he made 100 tackles, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, before transferring this past year. Houston - nicknamed "Da Problem" - dominated this past season with 16.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss. Chiefs make CB Williams first HBCU draftee in '22."So, it's good to see that we're making a lot better progress now." Editor's Picks "You had your Darius Leonards and Tarik Cohens and Brandon Parkers and it kind of took a little dip there with COVID," he said. It was a great run for HBCU players for a long time. The Lions reached agreement on a five-year contract with. Last year just wasn't that caliber or process. The Detroit Lions have a new general manager: Los Angeles Rams director of college scouting Brad Holmes. They don't get drafted just because they're at an HBCU. Singing nonstop party hits from Retro to Recent, Brad is a popular entertainer for all events, from easy-listening. "My mom gives me crap about it all the time, saying, 'Why don't you draft any HBCU players?'" Holmes said. He stood by his word, and Houston is thankful for the opportunity. Holmes, an HBCU graduate of North Carolina A&T, spoke throughout the year about giving those players a chance. Hall of Famer Deion Sanders' first NFL draft pick as a college head coach will start his career in the Motor City.ĭetroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes drafted HBCU linebacker James Houston IV from Jackson State in the sixth round, 217th overall.