March 2 – 22, 1963

The Four Seasons

Walk Like A Man

Selected in the ninth round of the 1948 NFL Draft out of USC—where he was a versatile star running back, safety, and punter for the Trojans—Don Doll arrived in Detroit in 1949 and quickly became one of the premier defensive backs in professional football. Stepping into the secondary for the Lions, the ball-hawking safety delivered a sensational rookie campaign, snatching 11 interceptions to jumpstart a dominant era for Detroit's defense.

Doll followed up his brilliant debut with an equally astonishing sophomore performance in 1950, picking off another 12 passes. By recording back-to-back double-digit interception seasons to open his NFL career, he accomplished a feat that remains unprecedented in league history. His rare closing speed, range from a single-high safety, and offensive instincts made passing anywhere near his zone a high-stakes gamble for opposing quarterbacks.

His early-career dominance earned him three consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 1951 through 1953, alongside a First-Team AP All-Pro selection in 1951. Doll served as a defensive cornerstone during the franchise's rapid rise into an NFL powerhouse. His turnover creation in the secondary provided key momentum turns that propelled Detroit to the 1952 NFL Championship, defeating the Cleveland Browns 17–7 to claim the franchise's first league title in nearly two decades.

After four brilliant seasons with the Lions, Doll played single seasons with the Washington Redskins (1953) and Los Angeles Rams (1954) before retiring at age 28.  He compiled 26 interceptions for 464 return yards with Detroit.

Everson Griffen came to the Minnesota Vikings as the 100^th Overall Draft Pick in 2010 and it was a slow build for him to really find his place in the NFL.  Griffen was mostly used on Special Teams as a rookie and morphed into a pass rushing specialist until 2014 when he became the starting Defensive End. Griffen went to four Pro Bowls over a five-year period, and he had three 10-plus Sack seasons while wearing the horns.  Griffen played for the Vikigs for ten years before he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a Free Agent.  

Griffen returned in 2021 for another year, bringing his Sack total in Minnesota to 79.5.

As of this writing, Harrison Smith has played all 13 of his seasons in the National Football League, with five straight (2015-19), and a sixth (2021) seeing him go to the Pro Bowl.