Flores Shares Personal Reflections

In these most unusual of circumstances, this was definitely not a typical post-draft press conference for Brian Flores.

The Dolphins head coach talked about his new players and his plans for the upcoming season, sure, but the takeaway from this session was centered way more Flores the person as opposed to Flores the coach.

Before he and General Manager Chris Grier began taking questions, Flores made an opening statement.

“I just wanted to quickly just say a few words and really say thank you to the doctors, to the nurses, to the first responders, to the essential workers during this pandemic," Flores said. "I think the job they’ve done has been incredible. I think they’re the real heroes."

That's when Flores mentioned that two of his mentors from New York, Mike Hankins Sr. and Myles Coker, died from COVID-19.

Flores then showed reporters on the call pictures on his cell phone of the two men.

He then showed the reporters on the call his cell phone, more specifically pictures of Kyle Coker and Mike Hankins Sr., two mentors of his from New York City who recently died from COVID-19.

"This pandemic has hit close to home for me. (Mike is) a mentor to a lot of kids in Brooklyn. Obviously in this picture he’s a referee, but he was also a father figure to many. His son, Mike Hankins Jr. is a good friend. We lost him a few weeks ago to COVID-19.

"Myles and I were – I’m very, very close with his sons, Cliff and Kelvin, so that was a tough loss for them and obviously a tough loss for me. They’ve got an incredible family – Cliff, Kelvin, their mom Deborah – and I just wanted to send my thoughts and prayers out to Mike and his family – Cliff, Kelvin, Deborah and their family. I just implore everyone to stay safe, stay healthy – and stay healthy. It’s important. Thank you.”

Flores, like every coach in the NFL, went through a totally different kind of draft, talking on the phone with other members of the Dolphins organization while surrounding by his family.

He was shown throughout the television broadcast of the draft high-fiving his sons, Miles and Maxwell in his office.

"It’s definitely been an adjustment, but it’s been fun," Flores said. "It’s been a lot of fun, actually. I haven’t spent this much time with my family — my kids, my wife (Jennifer) — in a long time and it’s been great to sit down and eat dinner, to help my kids with their homework.

"It’s been fun and it’s been a great experience, and having them spend time with me during the draft was a great experience. I’ve been able to (tell them), ‘If you don’t take a nap, you’re not going to get to the draft,’ so it’s been a lot of fun. It’s great to see it across the league. Families together, I think that’s just, it’s so important.

"When I think about being a coach, you want to help players become good players but good people, good husbands, good fathers, good sons; and I think we, as coaches, need to be good examples of that and hopefully the players saw that and hopefully the world saw that. I think that was evident. It was nice to see everyone’s families.”