Everything you need to know about what Tom Kowalski meant to the Detroit Lions community was demonstrated by head coach Jim Schwartz at the beginning of his post-practice press conference on Monday.
↵Kowalski usually asked the first question in postgame and post-practice pressers, as the reporter with the longest tenure on the Lions beat. In honor of Kowalski on Monday, no one asked the first question in Kowalski's absence.
↵↵↵"When we're ready, we'll go to the second question," he said. The group then took a moment of silence in honor of Kowalski.
↵"I'll just say this about Tom," said Schwartz. "The one thing he always tried to do was get it right. He knew football and he always wanted to get it right and we had a lot of respect for that."
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A moment of silence, followed by Schwartz asking reporters, "Second question?" It was a simple, but poignant tribute to Kowalski.
↵Schwartz is about to begin his third season as the Lions' head coach. Yet Kowalski clearly made an impression on him during his relatively short tenure.
↵But Killer obviously was a big part of the Detroit Lions, and the organization reflected that with their thoughts and kind words about him in light of his death.
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