Fathers occupy a critical role in a young child's development.
For new Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, the impact of his late father and the lessons learned in his childhood have not diminished with time.
In a sitdown interview with the Detroit Free Press, Holmes shared how his father Melvin taught him one of life's most important lessons.
"It’s about what you’re doing when nobody’s watching," Holmes shared.
His father had given him a set of weights when he was in the eighth grade and instilled in him a work ethic he draws upon in his present role with the Lions.
“Just trying to be the best I can be at my craft, in terms of, you can never watch enough film, you can never get enough information on a player," Holmes said. "Making sure that when, in those draft meetings, that I’m presenting the best, most accurate information that I possibly can. That was my drive, I just always wanted to be the best."
While Holmes no longer possesses the weights, he believes his ability to succeed stems from life lessons he learned as an adolescent.
“I’ll never forget, when my wife, we started dating, she was probably one of the first few that really actually understood like, yeah, I’ve been out all week, working on the road, and it’s a Friday. I finally got home, and it’s 11 o’clock and I’m working," Holmes commented. "At first, she was like, ‘I understand, it’s part of it.’ But, yeah, that’s a part that, nobody’s watching. That’s part of it. It’s never really obstructed me or deterred me. It’s worked out so far.”
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