By Moses Joshua 
A 2003 internship offer slipped through Detroit’s fingers—setting Holmes on an 18-year journey that would eventually reshape the franchise
The Fork in the Road: Two Offers, One Life-Changing Choice
Long before Brad Holmes became the architect of Detroit’s current renaissance, the Lions had first dibs on his talent. In the summer of 2003, the then-23-year-old had just wrapped a media internship with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and was hunting for a doorway into the NFL. He found two: a public-relations internship with the Detroit Lions and an identical role with the St. Louis Rams.
Holmes recently recounted the pivotal moment on the “Field Talk” podcast, explaining that Detroit called first with an offer. But a closer look at the Lions’ media guide—and the bios inside—gave him pause.
“When I read through the Lions’ media guide, I didn’t see any bios of, ‘Oh, former intern, former intern,’” Holmes said. “So I was like, ‘Man, this is just going to be another intern—one and done.’”
When the Rams followed with their own offer, Holmes noticed a common thread in St. Louis: intern after intern who’d climbed the organizational ladder. Convinced he’d find a clearer path there, Holmes made what he described as the “dreaded call” to Detroit and took the Rams job instead.
Eighteen Years in St. Louis and Los Angeles
Detroit’s loss became the Rams’ gain. Holmes spent nearly two decades ascending through their ranks—PR intern, scouting assistant, area scout, national scout, and finally director of college scouting. Along the way, he helped assemble the core of a Super Bowl roster and earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s most forward-thinking evaluators.
Meanwhile, the Lions cycled through three different general managers, a carousel that mirrored the franchise’s on-field struggles.
Full Circle: Detroit Gets a Second Chance
The cosmic twist arrived late in 2020, when Lions executive Mike Disner unearthed a video of Holmes’ general-manager interview tape from that year’s NFL Combine. Impressed by his vision, Detroit invited him to Allen Park for a second interview—his first visit there since turning down the internship in 2003.
Holmes couldn’t resist poking fun at the irony during his 2021 introductory presser:
“Before my second interview, I hadn’t been to the Allen Park facility since I interviewed here to be a PR intern,” he joked. “It’s funny how everything comes full circle.”
Building a Promotion Pipeline in Detroit
Under Holmes—and head coach Dan Campbell—the Lions have adopted the very ethos that once lured him to the Rams: promote from within. Coaches, scouts, and even PR staffers are now seeing clearer career pathways in Detroit. The franchise that once let Holmes slip is becoming the kind of organization he originally sought.
Whether that culture ultimately produces another Brad Holmes remains to be seen. What’s undeniable is that Detroit’s near-miss in 2003 set in motion an 18-year journey that eventually delivered the right man at the right time—just a little later than planned.
And given the Lions’ rapid ascent since his arrival, it’s a reminder that sometimes a missed opportunity is merely destiny hitting the snooze button.