Detroit Lions
| Detroit Lions | |||
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| Established 1930 Play in Detroit, Michigan | |||
| League / conference affiliations | |||
National Football League (1930–present)
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| Uniforms | |||
| Team colors | Honolulu Blue, Silver, and Black | ||
| Fight song | "Gridiron Heroes" | ||
| Mascot | Roary | ||
| Personnel | |||
| Owner(s) | William Clay Ford, Sr. | ||
| General manager | Matt Millen | ||
| Head coach | Rod Marinelli | ||
| Team history | |||
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| Championships | |||
League championships (4)
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Conference championships (4)
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Division championships (4)
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| Home fields | |||
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The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are currently members of the Northern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Originally called the Portsmouth Spartans, the team began play in 1930 as one of the NFL's small town teams in Portsmouth, Ohio. However, they moved to Detroit in 1934 due to the Great Depression.
The Lions have won four NFL Championships.
Franchise history
The franchise now known as the Lions was founded in 1930 as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans. The move to Detroit and subsequent nickname change to the Lions was made in 1934.
Detroit had four early teams in the National Football League before the Lions. The Detroit Heralds (renamed Tigers for 1921) were the first NFL team in Detroit from 1920-1921 before folding. From 1925-1926, the Detroit Panthers played in the league before folding in much the same way. In 1928, the Detroit Wolverines were a city owned NFL franchise that lasted only a single season before folding.
1930s
Early highlights as the Portsmouth Spartans include the "iron man" game against Green Bay in 1932. In that game, Spartan coach Potsy Clark refused to make even a single substitution against the defending NFL champion Packers. Portsmouth won 19-0 and used only 11 players all game. Also as the Portsmouth Spartans, the franchise played in an unscheduled NFL championship game against the Chicago Bears in 1932. The Spartans-Bears game was played because both teams ended the regular season with the same won-lost percentage (the Spartans finished at 6-1-4 while the Bears were 6-1-6; ties were not reckoned as part of the percentage in the NFL until 1972). Due to blizzard conditions in Chicago, the game was moved from Wrigley Field indoors to Chicago Stadium, which allowed for only an 80-yard field; some have called the contest the first arena football game. The Bears won, 9-0, and the resulting interest led to the establishment of Eastern and Western conferences and a regular championship game beginning in 1933.
Poor revenues and the Great Depression led to the team's move from Portsmouth to Detroit in 1934. That season, Detroit hosted its first ever Thanksgiving Day game, a tradition continued to this day.
Under quarterback Dutch Clark, Detroit won its first NFL championship in 1935.
1940s
In 1943, the Lions and the New York Giants played to a 0-0 tie at Detroit - the last time an NFL game has ended with a scoreless tie.
1950s
Detroit enjoyed its greatest success in the 1950s. Led by quarterback Bobby Layne, they won the league championship in 1952, 1953, and 1957. They defeated the Cleveland Browns in each of those NFL Championship Games, but also lost to the Browns in the 1954 Championship Game.
Notably, the Lions succeeded in one of the greatest comeback victories in NFL post-season history. Trailing the San Francisco 49ers 27-7 in the 3rd quarter of the 1957 Western Conference Playoff game, Lions quarterback Tobin Rote rallied the team back with 24 unanswered points to beat the 49ers 31-27 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.
1960s
On January 7, 1961, the Lions defeated the Browns 17-16 in the first-ever Playoff Bowl matching the runners-up from the two conferences into which the NFL was divided at the time (the Lions also appeared in the game in both of the next two years pursuant to their having finished second to the Green Bay Packers in the Western Conference in all three seasons; the Playoff Bowl was abolished in 1970 when the merger of the NFL and AFL went into full effect).
In the mid-1960s, the Lions served as the backdrop for the humorous sports literature of the late George Plimpton, who spent time in the Lions training camp masquerading as a player. This was the basic material for his book Paper Lion, later made into a movie. Also during the mid 1960s, William Clay Ford, Sr. purchased a controlling interest in the team.
1970s
Motown soul singer Marvin Gaye made plans, after the death of duet partner Tammi Terrell, to join the Lions and go into football. He gained weight and trained for his tryout in 1970, but was cut early on. He remained friends with a number of the players, particularly Mel Farr and Lem Barney, who appear as background vocalists on his 1971 classic single "What's Going On."
The Lions made the playoffs only once in the 70s, losing a defensive struggle to the Dallas Cowboys, 5-0, in 1970. The team went through a string of average seasons, finishing 2nd or 3rd in the division in every season from 1970 through 1978. Finally, in 1979, the team finished with a 2-14 record, and thus earned the first pick in the following draft.
1980s
In 1980, the Lions drafted running back Billy Sims with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Led by Sims, the team got off to a promising start that year and attracted considerable media attention when they adopted "Another One Bites the Dust", popularized by glam rock band Queen, as an unofficial team song. Lions player Jimmy "Spiderman" Allen recorded his own version of the tune with rewritten lyrics: Come and watch them Detroit Lions who no one seems to beat...and another one bites the dust which became popular on local Detroit radio. When the dust cleared, though, Detroit finished 9-7 and out of the playoffs, despite a 4-0 start.
The Lions were competitive in the early 80s, relying on an above average defense and the running of Sims. In the strike shortened season of 1982, the Lions finished with a 4-5 record, and made the playoffs, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins. In 1983, the Lions finished 9-7 and won the NFC Central division, but were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs on a missed field goal in the games final moments. However, Sims suffered a career ending knee injury in 1984, which seemed to derail the entire franchise. They would not finish with a record above .500 for the rest of the decade, enduring a string of bad drafts, bad coaches, and generally bad play on the field.
The team's fortunes seemed to start turning around in 1988 when Wayne Fontes became first the interim and then the full-time head coach. The team then started to draft a group of core players like safety Bennie Blades, linebacker Chris Spielman, quarterback Rodney Peete, and future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.
1990s
In 1991, the Lions reached the NFC Championship Game after having been shut out 45-0 by the Washington Redskins on opening night, eventually going 12-4. They were inspired late in the season by the loss of guard Mike Utley who sustained a career-ending paralysis injury against the Los Angeles Rams on November 17, 1991. As Utley was carted off the field in that game, in a true sign of courage, he flashed a "thumbs up" to his teammates and the Silverdome crowd. It became a rallying symbol for the remainder of the season. They won their first division title in eight years, and got their first (and to date, only) postseason victory since 1957, when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys 38-6 at the Silverdome. They lost to the Redskins in the NFC Championship Game, 41-10 (the Lions have never beaten the Redskins in Washington in twenty tries, going back to 1936). This was the first time a team that had been shut out in its opener had reached the conference title round, and would remain the only such occasion until both the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots did likewise in 2003 (with New England going on to win the Super Bowl).
2000s
The team has had considerable difficulty remaining competitive in recent years, going the entire 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons without a road victory, thus becoming the only team in NFL history not to win on the road for three consecutive entire seasons. The streak, encompassing 24 games (also an NFL record) came to an end on September 12, 2004, when the Lions defeated the Bears 20-16 at Soldier Field in Chicago. After starting the 2004 season 4-2, the Lions finished with a 6-10 record after numerous injuries hobbled many of their key players.
2005
In the 2005 season, the Lions (whose home stadium, Ford Field, was the site of Super Bowl XL) won their first game against division rival Green Bay (17-3), but were humiliated by the Chicago Bears in the second game (38-6). The Lions then lost a close game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a seemingly game winning touchdown was reviewed and controversially reversed (17-13). However, the Lions went to 2-2 after a win against the Baltimore Ravens (35-17). After a last-second loss to the Carolina Panthers (21-20), Jeff Garcia was named the starting quarterback, and he led the Lions to a 13-10 win over Cleveland in Week 7. However the Lions went into week 8 and lost to the Bears once again. Garcia threw a heartbreaking interception in OT which the Bears' CB Charles Tillman returned for a TD (19-13). The next week, the Lions had high hopes as Joey Harrington was reinserted as the starter vs. the troubled Minnesota Vikings. However the Lions went down early and lost 27-14. The Lions did get a 29-21 win in week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals. However, losses to the Dallas Cowboys, 20-7, and the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving, 27-7, pushed their regular season record to 4-7. As a result, head coach Steve Mariucci was fired a few days later on November 28, and Dick Jauron was named interim head coach. After the release of Mariucci, Cornerback Dré Bly, placed the blame on Harrington, saying that "he [Harrington] had been there for 4 years and had not done anything for the team." Bly later apologized to the team, but not to Harrington.
Things only got worse for the Lions. They lost their Week 13 home game to the Minnesota Vikings 27-7 amidst chants from Lions' fans of "Fire Millen", a reference to embattled Lions' GM Matt Millen, and then dropped to 4-9 with a Week 14 road loss at Lambeau Field in overtime 16-13 to the Green Bay Packers. Even worse, they got man-handled at home on Week 15 by the Cincinnati Bengals (41-17). With this losing record, they missed the postseason, and were unable to play Super Bowl XL on their own home turf.
Despite winning on the road against the New Orleans Saints 13-12 in the Alamodome, the Lions ended their season 5-11, with a 35-21 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. They were 1-4 under interim head coach Dick Jauron, and missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
2006
On January 19, the Lions made their very first step in the 2006 offseason, as they hired Rod Marinelli as the team's new head coach. From the Tony Dungy "coaching tree", Marinelli had previously served as the defensive line coach and had the title of assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Eventually hired would be new offensive and defensive coordinators. The new offensive coordinator, Mike Martz, had mostly recently stepped down as St. Louis Rams head coach in Fall 2005 due to a medical condition. The new defensive coordinator, Donnie Henderson, held the same title with his previous position with the New York Jets.
The team's most significant roster moves in the 2006 offseason were acquisitions of quarterbacks Jon Kitna and Josh McCown through free agency. Former starting QB Joey Harrington was traded to the Miami Dolphins on May 12, reportedly in exchange for a conditional pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. The pick was rumored to be most likely in the fifth or sixth round, based on Harrington's performance with the Dolphins. Backup quarterback Jeff Garcia was released as well, leaving the position of starting quarterback up for competition. Most observers expected either Kitna or McCown to win the starting job.
In the 2006 Draft, the Lions used their first two selections to draft linebacker Ernie Sims out of Florida State University and safety Daniel Bullocks out of the University of Nebraska. The rest of their picks included Wisconsin RB Brian Calhoun, Texas OT Jonathan Scott, West Virginia CB Alton McCann, Southern California Guard Fred Matua, and Tulane LB Anthony Cannon.
Logo and uniforms
The Lions uniforms have basically remained the same since the team debuted in 1930. The design consists of silver helmets, silver pants, and either blue or white jerseys. Their blue leaping lion logo debuted in 1960. There have also been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the silver stripe patterns on the jersey sleeves, and changing the colors of the jersey numbers. White trim was added to the logo in 1970.
In 1998, the team wore blue pants with their white jerseys, but dumped those pants after the season.
In 2004, the team added black trim to the lion logo and the jerseys. A black alternate jersey was introduced in 2005, and it was seen in two games that season.
Season-by-season records
| Season | W | L | T | Finish | Playoff results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth Spartans | |||||
| 1930 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 8th NFL | The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932 |
| 1931 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 2nd NFL | |
| 1932 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3rd NFL | # |
| 1933 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2nd NFL West | -- |
| Detroit Lions | |||||
| 1934 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1935 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1st NFL West | Won NFL Championship (Giants) |
| 1936 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 3rd NFL West | -- |
| 1937 | 7 | 4 | 0 | T-2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1938 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1939 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 3rd NFL West | -- |
| 1940 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3rd NFL West | -- |
| 1941 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3rd NFL West | - |
| 1942 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 5th NFL West | -- |
| 1943 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3rd NFL West | -- |
| 1944 | 6 | 3 | 1 | T-2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1945 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1946 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 5th NFL West | -- |
| 1947 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 5th NFL West | -- |
| 1948 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 5th NFL West | -- |
| 1949 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 4th NFL West | -- |
| 1950 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4th NFL NFC | -- |
| 1951 | 7 | 4 | 1 | T-2nd NFL NFC | -- |
| 1952 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1st NFL NFC | Won National Conference Playoff (L.A. Rams) Won NFL Championship (Browns) |
| 1953 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1st NFC West | Won NFL Championship (Browns) |
| 1954 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1st NFL West | Lost NFL Championship (Browns) |
| 1955 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 6th NFL West | -- |
| 1956 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1957 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1st NFL West | Won Western Conference Playoff (49ers) Won NFL Championship (Browns) |
| 1958 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 5th NFL West | -- |
| 1959 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 5th NFL West | -- |
| 1960 | 7 | 5 | 0 | T-2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1961 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1962 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 2nd NFL West | -- |
| 1963 | 5 | 8 | 1 | T-4th NFL West | -- |
| 1964 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4th NFL West | -- |
| 1965 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 6th NFL West | -- |
| 1966 | 4 | 9 | 1 | T-6th NFL West | -- |
| 1967 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3rd NFL Central | -- |
| 1968 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4th NFL Central | -- |
| 1969 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 2nd NFL Central | -- |
| 1970 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2nd NFC Central | Lost Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) |
| 1971 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2nd NFC Central | -- |
| 1972 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2nd NFC Central | -- |
| 1973 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2nd NFC Central | -- |
| 1974 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2nd NFC Central | -- |
| 1975 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2nd NFC Central | -- |
| 1976 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | -- |
| 1977 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | -- |
| 1978 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | -- |
| 1979 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 5th NFC Central | -- |
| 1980 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2nd NFC Central | -- |
| 1981 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2nd NFC Central | -- |
| 1982 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 8th NFC Conf. | Lost First Round (Redskins) |
| 1983 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1st NFC Central | Lost Divisional Playoffs (49ers) |
| 1984 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 4th NFC Central | -- |
| 1985 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 4th NFC Central | -- |
| 1986 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | -- |
| 1987 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 5th NFC Central | -- |
| 1988 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 4th NFC Central | -- |
| 1989 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | -- |
| 1990 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | -- |
| 1991 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1st NFC Central | Won Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) Lost Conference Championship (Redskins) |
| 1992 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 5th NFC Central | -- |
| 1993 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1st NFC Central | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Packers) |
| 1994 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Packers) |
| 1995 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 2nd NFC Central | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Eagles) |
| 1996 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 5th NFC Central | -- |
| 1997 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Buccaneers) |
| 1998 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4th NFC Central | -- |
| 1999 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3rd NFC Central | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Redskins) |
| 2000 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 4th NFC Central | -- |
| 2001 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 5th NFC Central | -- |
| 2002 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 4th NFC North | -- |
| 2003 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 4th NFC North | -- |
| 2004 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 3rd NFC North | -- |
| 2005 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 3rd NFC North | -- |
| Totals | 485 | 541 | 32 | (including NFL playoffs) | |
#=The result of the 1932 NFL Playoff Game to determine the NFL champion between the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans counted in the standings.
Players of note
Current roster
- 7 Dutch Clark, QB (1963)
- 35 Bill Dudley, HB (1966)
- 22 Bobby Layne, QB (1967)
- 50 Alex Wojciechowicz, C, LB (1968)
- 14 Jack Christiansen, DB (1970)
- 56 Joe Schmidt, LB (1973)
- 81 Dick "Night Train" Lane, DB (1974)
- 28 Yale Lary, DB, P (1979)
- 37 Doak Walker, HB (1986)
- 20 Lem Barney, DB (1992)
- 76 Lou Creekmur, G, T (1996)
- 20 Barry Sanders, RB (2004)
Retired numbers
- Dutch Clark (7)
- Lem Barney (20)
- Billy Sims (20)
- Barry Sanders (20)
- Note: The #20 was retired specifically for Sanders, but most people recognize the retired number as representing Barney and Sims, both of whom are noteworthy Lions, as well.
- Bobby Layne (22)
- Doak Walker (37)
- Joe Schmidt (56)
- Note: The #56 was unretired with Schmidt's blessing when the Lions acquired linebacker Pat Swilling from the Saints. No player has worn it since Swilling left.
- Chuck Hughes (85)
- Note: Hughes died of a heart attack during a game on October 24, 1971, and his number was unofficially retired in that no player has worn it since. Receiver Kevin Johnson wore #85 during his stint in Detroit after asking permission from the Hughes family as he had worn that number throughout his professional career.
- Charlie Sanders (88)
- Note: The #88 has been in and out of the rotation in recent years. Currently, it is being used by wide receiver Mike Williams.
Other notable alumni
Head Coaches
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Current Staff
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