Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes delivered a powerful speech at his alma mater: North Carolina A&T State.
Over the weekend, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes went back to his roots. He traveled back to his alma mater North Carolina A&T State University to deliver the commencement speech to the graduating class.
You can see a short clip of it—courtesy of the Greensboro News & Record—via YouTube or below.
The most striking moment from the 2.5 minute clip is when Holmes is talking about a piece of advice he derived from a poem called “Choose Your Hard .” Here’s that portion of Holmes’ speech:
“Life is hard, but you’ve already heard. What I heard a few years ago was a poem title, ‘Choose Your Hard.’ It goes like this:
“Marriage is hard and divorce is hard. Choose your hard. Obesity is hard, being fit is hard. Choose your hard. Being in debt is hard, being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard. Communicating is hard, not communicating is hard. Choose your hard.
“When I heard that, it hit me like a ton of bricks. However you slice it, whichever path you choose, it’s going to be hard. I tell our scouts that all the time. It’s hard to be thorough and detailed and go the extra mile. It’s also hard to not be thorough. Always remember, the shortcut may feel good in the short term, but life’s going to catch up to you.”
The message is strong, clear, and not surprising coming from the Lions’ culture of grit, perseverance, and not always taking the easy route. Holmes himself knew that building the Lions up from the ground floor was not necessarily the easy way. He knew it was going to result in some immediate hardships, as the Lions went 4-19-1 in their first 24 games under Holmes and Dan Campbell. But he chose the right hard, and now the Lions are benefitting from it. Since that turn, Detroit is 35-9, have won a pair of playoff games, and head into 2025 as one of the biggest favorites to win the Super Bowl .
The full speech is available, as well. Holmes’ speech begins at the 1:06:30 mark.