Top 50 Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions may never have won a Super Bowl Championship but the reality is that this is a franchise with a long history with previous NFL titles that could possibly turn everything around and explore the history of the team.The Detroit Lions first came into the NFL in 1930 and to date have won four NFL Championships, although the last one occurred in 1957, with three title occurring in the 1950’s.
While this has been an organization that has not had a lot of success, this is still a respected National Football League Team and worth our time when considering the team’s entire history.
This list is up to the end of the 2022 regular season.
Note: Football lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics and post-season accolades.
A Detroit Lion for the best six years of his eleven-year career, with the new return rules, it is safe for us to say that Mel Gray will go down in history as the best return specialist in Lions history. Gray wasn’t used much in the offense, but he was such a star returner amassing nearly 7,000 Return Yards with…
At one time the Detroit Lions leading rusher, Altie Taylor was a Detroit Lion for seven of his eight seasons and was named the Offensive MVP by the team in 1973. Taylor would have over 6,000 All-Purpose Yards as a Lion with 30 Touchdowns.
Spending twelve of his twenty-one seasons in Detroit, “Steady” Eddie Murray lived up to that moniker as one of the most dependable Place Kickers in NFL history. Murray was a two time Pro Bowler and would twice lead the NFL in Field Goal Percentage.
From the state of Hawaii, Rocky Freitas was a Detroit Lion (1968-77) for all but his final season as a professional football player. The Offensive Tackle played 121 Games for Detroit and was a Pro Bowl Selection in 1972 and he would lead the NFL in Approximate Value (20) that season.
Named the Detroit Lions Defensive MVP in 1969, 1970 and 1971, Mike Lucci was named to the Pro Bowl in 1971. In a tough sport, Lucci was one of the toughest, playing through countless injuries. He would record 21 Interceptions for Detroit.
A star at USC, Don Doll spent his first four seasons as a ball hawk for the Detroit Lions. Doll had 26 picks over his Lions’ career and was chosen for the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons in the 1950s. Doll would have 10 or more pick in the first two years of his career and would have…
The NFL Rookie of the Year in 1959, Nick Pietrosante came out of Notre Dame a star and continued that pattern in Detroit. The Fullback would be a Pro Bowl Selection in both 1960 and 1961 and rushed for 3,933 Yards as a Lion, an excellent number for that position in that era.
Even though his run with the Detroit Lions was not that long ago, Brett Perriman was a somewhat unheralded player in the Lion’s offense. Perriman would have two seasons where he had over 1,000 Yards, one of which saw him net 1,488 Yards (1995) from the air. The Wide Receiver accumulated 5,244 Yards and 25 Touchdowns.
Another career Detroit Lion, John Gordy was allegedly the inspiration for George Plimpton’s second book on football, “Mad Ducks and Bears”. Gordy was far more than a literary muse as he was a three time Pro Bowler and a star lineman for Detroit for a decade.
Mel Farr would get out of the gates quickly as the star from UCLA who was chosen 7th Overall by the Detroit Lions would be named to the Pro Bowl and was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. He finished 5th in Rushing Yards, but that would be the only time he was in the top ten in that. …
A star at USC, Charlie Weaver may not have had the fame he did in Southern California, but he was a solid Linebacker for the Detroit Lions for a decade (1971-81). Weaver would accumulate 15 Interceptions in his professional career.
Terry Barr was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and he would play his college ball at the University of Michigan. He would stay in state for his professional career, as the Lions chose him in the 3rd Round of the 1957 Draft. Used predominantly as a returner, he would help the Lions win the NFL Championship as a rookie and…