Back then the stadium was a Colorado Springs park, down the street, a soccer pitch hopping with 7- and 8-year-old boys and girls. Craig Domann was the coach, JoJo Domann his son.

“He thought I was treating him harder than everybody else,” Dad says now, “but I was really holding him accountable.”

Compartmentalizing their roles began there.

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JoJo couldn’t figure out why Dad was tougher on him than the other kids. From Archie Manning to Ed McCaffrey, and maybe to your Dad, that’s not a crazy scenario. So Craig had to figure out the best way to explain the situation, and the answer was to be transparent: “I learned that I needed to have that conversation: ‘Son, here at the park I am your coach, and I’m going to hold you accountable. Now we’re home I’m your Dad, and I’m here to love you and be proud of you.’”

Funny how early life lessons come full circle.

His next stadium’s going to be an NFL stadium, and again JoJo’s parents were inclined to define their roles: Dad’s his agent, Mom crushes the marketing angle, and JoJo Domann is a linebacker prospect who could go anywhere from the third round to undrafted during this weekend’s NFL draft. When JoJo got home from the University of Nebraska the other day, the chat began like this: “Let’s go over some agent-player stuff real quick. OK, now I’m Dad again.”

Georgia defensive stud Travon Walker went No. 1 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday, and that was awesome. So was Ahmad Gardner rocking a giant diamond “SAUCE” neck chain after going fourth overall to the New York Jets. The draft is overcooked America, and still it never disappoints.

As a sucker for off-the-radar family stuff, the Domann fam boasts that angle in spades.

Craig Domann’s in his 32nd year as an NFL agent. Mom, Teddi Domann, handles marketing and public relations for the family’s “360 Sports” agency out of Colorado Springs. She set up JoJo’s recent interview on NFL Network, ran her son’s podcast series and organized his “name, imagine, likeness” work at Nebraska, a charitable entity that benefited cancer patients.

You might remember JoJo Domann from Brent Briggeman’s cool story in The Gazette on Thursday, or as the high school stud who helped Pine Creek to a pair of state championships.

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“This is a team effort, from my standpoint. You’re not just getting JoJo Domann, you’re getting the Domann family,” as JoJo Domann said last week on “Good Morning Football.”

This NFL draft projects to be a relatively quiet weekend for the state of Colorado. Colorado State star tight end Trey McBride will be the first local product off the board. That’s a rare draft lock. CU-Boulder’s top prospects include linebackers Carson Wells and Nate Landman and left guard Kary Kutch. Air Force defensive lineman Jordan Jackson (Do it, Broncos!), slot receiver Brandon Lewis and cornerback Tre Bugg are among the hopeful Falcons. Rooting for ’em.

Then there’s JoJo, who bounced between defensive back, linebacker and a hybrid position called “Cinco,” a nickel linebacker, they invented for him at Nebraska. The 24-year-old projects as a sub-package cover linebacker to begin his career, his agent says. That’s Dad.

Growing up with parents in the agent industry taught lessons JoJo Domann now can use. One, it’s not about when (or if) you are drafted, but who drafts you: “Every agent wants their player to go as high as possible. Every dad wants him to go to a place where it’s a good fit, where they have a vision for him so he can have a long career,” Craig Domann says.

“It’s more about longevity than how high you are drafted,” he says.

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Two, remember all those dinner conversations where Dad broke away to take a phone call from a client? Remember how a safety got cut after a run-in with a coach, for example, or how a tailback signed a long-term contract by showing up early every day? Brothers JoJo and Brock Domann, a quarterback at the University of Louisville, grew up around NFL players. They vacationed with dad’s clients and took an annual trip to an NFL training camp or Sunday game. Some Domann clients were drafted, like Virginia Tech’s Eric Green. Some were undrafted and carved out long, lucrative careers, like Kansas State’s Ryan Lilja, who blocked for Peyton Manning and the Super Bowl champion Colts.

There are different roads to the NFL destination.

It wasn’t a given Craig would represent JoJo. Prior to JoJo’s final season at Nebraska, his father asked him: Do you want me to help vet agents? Or would you like me to represent you?

Family won out: “It’s really been a seamless process for us since we’ve been doing it forever,” Dad says.

All the way back to a city park and 8-year-old soccer games.

“At different times you need to be a coach and need to be a Dad. Maybe he’s only passing it to his friend. That’s a coach conversation,” Craig Domann says. “Or, maybe you lose a game and he’s 8 and he’s crying. That’s a Dad conversation. The scoreboard’s just the scoreboard. You learn as a man the difference between when you need a dad or a coach.”