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Lomas Brown says Detroit Lions sent ‘one-armed equipment guy’ to pick him up

Lomas Brown, a former Detroit Lions offensive lineman, recently shared a surprising story about his experience on draft day. Brown was picked sixth overall by the Lions in the 1985 NFL draft, but he was surprised by how he was picked up from the airport. Instead of a limousine, he was picked up by an equipment staffer in a car, who Brown said had only one arm. The story sounds pretty funny, but Brown is likely not making the story up as the Lions’ equipment manager really only had one arm.

Key points:

  • Lomas Brown was drafted sixth overall by the Detroit Lions in the 1985 NFL draft.
  • Brown thought he would be drafted in the teens based on intelligence gathered by his agent.
  • The Detroit Lions kept their draft plans so secret that even the player they picked was surprised.
  • Brown was picked up from the airport by an equipment staffer in a car, instead of a limousine.
  • The equipment staffer had only one arm.
Detroit Lions 2023 NFL Mock Draft Ben Johnson 2.0 Lomas Brown

Lomas Brown’s hilarious NFL Draft Story

Here is Brown’s draft story, courtesy of Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

“We introduce ourself to each other and I see he’s got one arm, so I’m like saying in my mind, ‘OK, I’m going to grab my own bag. I’m not going to make this guy grab my bag,’ ” Brown said. “So we walk out of the airport, McNamara or whatever the little thing was called back then, and we were just walking and walking, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ And it’s cold now. It’s April, it’s cold up there in Detroit.

“So we walk to the parking lot and in the parking lot he came to pick me up in his car and it was a straight hooptie. It was rusted out at the bottom. I forgot what make and model it was, but it was a hooptie. And I’m like. ‘Oh my God.’ I’m saying to myself, ‘Man, I’m the sixth pick in the draft and they send a one-armed equipment guy to come pick me up in this hooptie, man.’ And I’m telling you, I froze from that. Cause again, it was rusted out at the bottom. I froze from the airport all the way out to the Pontiac Silverdome, and that was my first experience with the Lions.”

The Bottom Line

Lomas Brown’s story about being picked up from the airport by a one-armed equipment staffer in a car instead of a limousine on his draft day is amusing but it is also likely true. Back in the day, I was a ball boy for the Lions, and the assistant equipment manager, whose name was Mark, did have one arm. To this day, Mark is one of the coolest guys I have ever met and made me feel more welcome than anyone else in the organization, other than Barry Sanders, but that is another story in itself.

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W.G. Brady
W.G. Brady
W.G. Brady is a Detroit-based journalist who has been covering the Detroit sports scene for Detroit Sports Nation for several years. He is in his early 30s and has a wealth of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, W.G. has established himself as a respected and knowledgeable journalist known for his in-depth coverage of the teams and athletes in Detroit. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for sports, W.G. has become a go-to source for fans and readers looking for the latest news and analysis on the Detroit sports scene. He has a good reputation in the sports community and is respected for his unbiased coverage of sports events. W.G. is known for his ability to uncover hidden stories and provide unique perspectives on the teams and athletes he covers. He has a good understanding of the city of Detroit and its sports culture, which he uses to inform his reporting and analysis. He continues to be a respected journalist in the Detroit sports industry.

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