Out of the University of Nebraska, Glenn Presnell first played for the semi-pro Ironton Yanks in 1929.  The Yanks were not part of the NFL but would have games against NFL teams where they would sometimes emerge as the victor.  Presnell would sing with the NFL's Portsmouth Spartans, where he would be a bona fide triple threat in terms of passing, running and kicking and would be an All-Pro in 1933.  Presnell would then join the Detroit Lions and was a key member of their 1935 Championship Team. 

Lomas Brown played his first eleven seasons with the Detroit Lions, where his first six of seven Pro Bowls would take place.  The Left Tackle would appear in seven straight Pro Bowls and would start in 251 of his 263 career games.

This one might be a little tough to justify, but this is not exactly uncommon for players before World War II.

Byron “Whizzer” White was a hot commodity after being a consensus All-American at Colorado, and he was drafted 4^th Overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938.  As a rookie, he would lead the NFL in Rushing, but the National Football League was not the only organization that sought his talents.  He would only play there for one year as he deferred his pro career to attend Oxford, but the Rhodes Scholar stayed only one year there as he returned to the United States after the outbreak of World War II.

A member of the 1930's All-Decade Team, George Christensen, was one of the better Tackles of the decade (obviously based on the above accolade).

From Rice University, Tobin Rote was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, but in '50 the Pack was not very good, and wouldn't be for years.  The ineptitude of Green Bay was no fault of Rote, who proved to be an excellent QB, but didn't have a lot of teammates around him at his level.  He was also a solid rusher, especially early in his career.  For those who dismissed Rote, in 1956 on what was still a mediocre Packers team, he would lead the NFL in Passing Yards and Completions and had a then-record 29 Touchdown Passes.  Despite that great season, the Packers traded him to Detroit, who began the season sharing Quarterbacking duties with Bobby Layne, but was clearly the main pivot on a team that would win the 1957 NFL Championship Team.

Ox Emerson was a member of the NFL All-Decade 1930's Team. He started his professional football career in 1931 with the Portsmouth Spartans. In his second season, he was selected to his first of five straight First Team All-Pros. Despite being ironically nicknamed due to his height of under six feet and weight of less than 200 pounds, Emerson used his skill and smaller size to his advantage, evading tacklers with his footwork and positioning.

After the Spartans relocated to Detroit, the team was renamed the Lions. Emerson played a crucial role in their Championship win in 1935. Throughout his career, his work in the trenches was a vital part of the team's rushing success, making him one of the best Linemen that Detroit ever had. Emerson has been a Centennial Slate Hall of Fame Finalist, indicating that he has a possible chance of gaining entry through a seniors committee in the future.

The 1944 2nd Overall Draft Pick from the University of Wisconsin, Pat Harder, lived up to the hype. He helped the Chicago Cardinals win the 1947 NFL Championship and was selected for the First Team All-Pro for three consecutive years.

Playing at fullback, and also serving as the Cardinal’s place kicker, Harder became the first player in NFL history to exceed 100 points in three straight years (1947-49). Blessed with power and speed, Harder had soft receiving hands and accumulated 3,880 yards from scrimmage over eight seasons, a decent number for his time. Harder was named the MVP by UPI in 1948, and his overall accomplishments earned him a spot on the 1940s All-Decade Team.

Harder's success continued into the 1950s, as he went to the Pro Bowl in 1950. He then joined the Detroit Lions for his final three years, where he helped them win the NFL Championship in both 1952 and 1953 and was a Pro Bowler in the first of those two years.

It is a long process isn’t it?

We here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly but surely working our way to give you the Top 50 of every major North American Franchise, and we are ready to present to you another one; this time the NFL’s Detroit Lions.

While many of you view the Lions as this sad sack team over the past few decades, this is a team that does have multiple NFL Championship appearances.

The complete list of our Top 50 Detroit Lions can be found here, but for those who want a preview of the top five, here you are!



1. Barry Sanders

2. Joe Schmidt

3. Bobby Layne

4. Lem Barney

5. Doak Walker



Take a look, give us your opinion and as always we thank you!

Up next, we will return to Motown with the Detroit Tigers. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 7 TDs that he earned a spot here.  He was a three-time First Team All-Pro because of it.

Selected in the fifth round out of Purdue in 1965, Ed Flanagan had an elite athletic foundation and technical mastery that allowed him to make an immediate impact. Stepping onto the field as a rookie, he instantly claimed the starting center spot, anchoring the middle of Detroit's offensive line with quiet brilliance for the next decade.

Flanagan stood out for his exceptional leverage, swift lateral movement, and flawless line calls, serving as the unsung engine for Detroit's offense. Operating in the trenches during a punishing era of interior line play, he earned immense respect from opposing defensive tackles across the NFC who recognized his tactical consistency. His exceptional play earned him four Pro Bowl selections (1969, 1970, 1971, 1973) and two Second-Team AP All-Pro nods (1969, 1970), solidifying his reputation as one of the premier centers of his era.

From 1965 through 1974, he anchored the pivot through a grueling 129 consecutive games, serving as a steady protector for quarterbacks like Greg Landry and Bill Munson while clearing lanes for power runners like Altie Taylor. After ten seasons in Detroit, he capped off his career with a two-year stint with the San Diego Chargers before retiring. 

His contributions to the franchise were later recognized with selections to both the Lions 75th Anniversary Team and the All-Time Team.

Taking him in the first round (13th overall) out of Texas in the 1953 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions added an immediate physical presence to their interior line in Harley Sewell. Known for his exceptional speed and leverage as a pulling guard, Sewell stepped into the starting left guard spot as a rookie and instantly solidified Motown's offensive line.

Sewell's mobility made him the ideal lead blocker on sweeps and traps, clearing paths for iconic backs like Doak Walker and Bobby Layne. He earned immediate postseason success, helping power Detroit to an NFL Championship as a rookie in 1953 and capturing a second title ring in 1957. Recognized as one of the premier interior guards of his era, Sewell earned four Pro Bowl selections (1957, 1958, 1959, 1962) and a Second-Team AP All-Pro nod in 1957.

Beyond his offensive line mastery, Sewell was a relentless hustler who also starred on special teams, regularly leading the coverage units in tackles. After ten dependable seasons anchoring the Lions' interior, he concluded his career with a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 1963. Detroit later honored his enduring impact with a spot on the Lions’ 75th Anniversary Team.

Sewell had 111 starts over his 120 games for the team.

Selected first overall out of Georgia in 2009, Matthew Stafford stepped into a Motor City franchise coming off a bleak 0-16 campaign, tasked with resurrecting the organization from the ground up. Equipped with a signature cannon arm and extraordinary toughness, Stafford locked down the starting job instantly and spent twelve seasons operating as the unquestioned face of the franchise.

Stafford's statistical explosion came in 2011—his first fully healthy season—when he threw for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors while leading Detroit to its first playoff berth in over a decade. Possessing lethal arm strength from every platform angle, Stafford made a habit of staging late-game heroics, setting an NFL single-season record in 2016 with eight fourth-quarter comeback victories.

Throughout his run, he developed an iconic connection with Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, but even after Megatron's retirement, Stafford continued to rack up monster production. He cleared the 4,000-yard passing threshold in seven separate seasons as a Lion (19 overall), earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2014, and snapped a long franchise drought by becoming the first Lions passer since Greg Landry in 1971 to earn a Pro Bowl trip.

Despite his jaw-dropping volume, a lack of consistent defensive support and a nonexistent running game frequently left Stafford fighting uphill, resulting in a 74-90-1 regular-season mark in Detroit. A blockbuster 2021 trade sent him to the Los Angeles Rams, where he immediately validated his elite ceiling by capturing Super Bowl LVI in his inaugural West Coast campaign.

Over his run in Detroit,  Stafford compiled 45,109 passing yards, with a 282-144 TD-INT ratio.

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Selected in the sixth round out of Washington State in the 1960 NFL Draft, Gail Cogdill stepped onto the field as a smooth, long-striding split end with vertical speed that immediately stretched opposing defenses. He burst onto the professional scene like a flash of lightning, claiming the 1960 UPI and Sporting News NFL Rookie of the Year awards while establishing himself as Detroit's primary deep threat.

Cogdill's inaugural campaign set the tone for an explosive decade in Motown. As a rookie, he hauled in 43 passes for 964 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging an astonishing 22.4 yards per reception and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He remained the focal point of Detroit's aerial attack throughout the early 1960s, earning two more Pro Bowl nods (1962, 1963) and three consecutive AP Second-Team All-Pro honors from 1962 to 1964.

Operating in an era dominated by ground-and-pound run schemes, Cogdill's ability to rack up air yardage was extraordinary. He posted back-to-back 900-plus-yard receiving seasons in 1962 and 1963, consistently bailing out quarterbacks like Earl Morrall and Milt Plum on long third-down conversions. Though injuries hampered the later stages of his career, Cogdill remained a steady veteran leader until his departure in 1968, when he finished his career with brief stops in Baltimore and Atlanta.

When Cogdill moved on from the organization, he held virtually every major receiving record in franchise history, leaving a blueprint for future Lions split ends to follow. He would later be named to the club’s 75th Anniversary Team and the All-Time Team. Overall, he had 325 receptions, 5,221 receiving yards and 28 receiving touchdowns.