<
        >

          Lions honor GM Brad Holmes with matching NCAT jerseys for NFL draft

          play
          Terrion Arnold ecstatic after Jalen Milroe is drafted (0:38)

          Lions CB Terrion Arnold cannot contain his excitement after former Alabama teammate Jalen Milroe is drafted by the Seahawks. (0:38)

          • Eric WoodyardApr 26, 2025, 01:34 PM ET
            Close
              Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN. He joined ESPN in September 2019 as an NBA reporter dedicated to the Midwest region before switching to his current role in April 2021. The Flint, Mich. native is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has authored/co-authored three books: "Wasted," "Ethan's Talent Search" and "All In: The Kelvin Torbert Story". He is a proud parent of one son, Ethan.
            Follow on X

          DETROIT -- Inside the Detroit Lions' NFL draft war room, their front office has continued a Day 3 tradition by honoring general manager Brad Holmes on Saturday.

          The team brass, led by president Rod Wood, is sporting Holmes' No. 95 North Carolina A&T Aggies college jersey while making picks as Holmes prepares for an exciting opportunity at his alma mater.

          On May 10, Holmes will deliver a commencement speech at North Carolina A&T, as he continues to advocate for HBCUs and their impact on the NFL.

          Last year, Detroit's front office also showed up in matching all-black uniforms with head coach Dan Campbell's No. 89 on them for Day 3 of the 2024 NFL draft to keep things lighthearted. Campbell wore No. 89 across three seasons with the Lions and New York Giants.

          "Plenty of players have been standouts at HBCUs that have made differences in the league, but it is good that now at least I've created a branch from a front office standpoint in the NFL coming from an HBCU," Holmes told ESPN. "That holds near and dear to my heart and I just know the hurdles that HBCUs have in general so, again, I just want to be able to do everything that I can do within my power to make sure that I can do anything to benefit them."

          Since taking over as the Lions general manager in 2021, Holmes has continued to keep the HBCU community at the forefront, while working to shed any misconceptions about the schools.

          During the Lions' 2022 home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, he invited the North Carolina A&T marching band, The Blue and Gold Marching Machine, to perform at halftime. They also performed for the Atlanta Falcons' halftime in Week 13.

          The former Aggies football player also drafted James Houston, an HBCU linebacker from Jackson State in 2022 and hosted a panel discussion at Ford Field for Detroit high school students, promoting historically Black colleges and universities.

          In 2002, Holmes graduated cum laude from North Carolina A&T with a bachelor of science in journalism and mass communication and represents the school with pride.

          "I know what the struggle is with HBCUs in general, whether it's funding and finances and all that. I do think that HBCUs are a lot more prevalent now," Holmes told ESPN. "I actually think that Deion Sanders played a big part in that. When he was at Jackson State, he put Jackson State on the map and then HBCUs kind of came on the map."