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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIONS
Detroit welcomed the Lions in 1934, but it was not the area’s fi rst
look at professional football. In 1920, the Detroit Heralds were a charter
member of the American Professional Football Association, which was
the original name of the present NFL, but the club folded a er two
years. The Detroit Panthers appeared in 1925, but also folded a er two
seasons. In 1928, the Detroit Wolverines were formed, but they failed
a er just one year.
In 1930, the then-10-year-old National Football League added a
franchise from Portsmouth, Ohio, called the Spartans. A er four seasons,
the team was purchased for $7,952.08 by a group headed by Detroit radio
executive George A. Richards and moved to the Motor City.
Playing in the University of Detroit Stadium before crowds that
averaged 16,000, the new Detroit Lions won the NFL Championship in
only their second year (1935). Under the leadership of Coach “Potsy”
Clark and stars like Hall of Famer “Dutch” Clark, Ernie Caddel, George
Christensen, “Ace” Gutowsky, Glenn Presnell and “Ox” Emerson, the early
Lions established pro football in Detroit.
In 1940, Chicagoan Fred Mandel bought the club. Lions’ stars of that
era included Hall of Famers Bill Dudley and Alex Wojciechowicz, John
Green, Byron “Whizzer” White, Frank Sinkwich and “Camp” Wilson. The
team was sold eight years later to a group of local businessmen under
the leadership of Edwin J. Anderson. The Detroit syndicate controlled
the club until 1964, when William Clay Ford became the sole owner for
a price of $4.5 million.
The Lions dominated the NFL in the 1950s with four division titles
and three league championships. Under the direction of head coach
Buddy Parker, the team won back-to-back world crowns in 1952-53,
defeating Cleveland on both occasions. Stars of those powerful teams
were Hall of Famers Bobby Layne, Jack Christiansen, Doak Walker and
Lou Creekmur, as well as Les Bingaman, Cloyce Box, Leon Hart and Bob
Hoernschemeyer. The Detroit-Cleveland battles of the era were classic
confrontations between two giants of the blossoming NFL.
Since their last title in 1957 under the coaching of George Wilson,
the Lions have continued searching for the league’s top spot. Such
performers as Joe Schmidt, Yale Lary, Dick “Night Train” Lane, John
Henry Johnson and Lem Barney have been elected to the Hall of Fame.
Outstanding players such as Wayne Walker, Mike Lucci, Nick Pietrosante,
Roger Brown, Terry Barr, Mel Farr, Charlie Sanders, Dexter Bussey, Billy
Sims and Doug English have also taken their places in the annals of
pro football in Detroit.
In 1967, Schmidt began the fi rst of six seasons as head coach of the
Lions. His 1970 team made the playoff s, (fi rst postseason trip since ’57)
but lost in the fi rst round to Dallas by the baseball-like score of 5-0.
Prior to the 1975 season, the Lions moved into a new, domed
stadium in Pontiac, Mich., a suburb located 30 miles north of Detroit. The
Silverdome was, at one time, the world’s largest air-supported domed
structure and seated over 80,000 spectators under a fi berglass roof.
Monte Clark took control of all football operations as head coach
in 1978. Under Clark’s direction, the Lions narrowly missed playoff
berths in 1980-81, before qualifying in 1982 — the Lions’ fi rst playoff
appearance since 1970. Detroit captured the NFC Central Division crown
in 1983, but stumbled in the fi rst round of the playoff s with a 24-23 loss
at San Francisco.
Darryl Rogers took over for Clark in 1985 but was replaced on an
interim basis by his defensive coordinator Wayne Fontes in November
1988 a er Rogers’ teams had posted a combined 18-40 record. Fontes
was offi cially named the franchise’s 18th head coach on December
22, 1988.
The Lions “Restored the Roar” in 1991, winning a franchise-record 12
regular season games. Riding a tide of emotion a er guard Mike Utley’s
paralyzing neck injury, Detroit defeated Dallas, 38-6, in the Lions’ fi rst
Silverdome playoff contest. The victory gave the Lions a berth in the
NFC Championship Game, where Detroit fell to the eventual Super Bowl
Champion Washington Redskins.
The Lions fi nished 10-6 in 1993 en route to capturing the NFC Central
Division title, and earned a Wild Card playoff bid in 1994. The 1995 Lions
featured the NFL’s top-rated off ense and won their fi nal seven games to
earn a third straight playoff berth. Herman Moore set an NFL record with
123 catches, and he and Brett Perriman became the fi rst teammates to
each total over 100 catches in the same season. The receiver tandem
also set the NFL record for most receiving yards in a season. Quarterback
Scott Mitchell set team passing records for yards (4,338), completions
(346) and touchdowns (32).
In 1996, running back Barry Sanders captured his third NFL rushing
title with a dramatic 175-yard outburst on the fi nal Monday night of the
season in San Francisco. The Lions, however, fi nished a disappointing 5-11
HISTORY BOOK
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in ’96 and following the season, Fontes was replaced as head coach
by former San Diego Chargers’ head coach, Bobby Ross. Fontes,
who was the head coach for more than eight full seasons, fi nished
his career as the team’s all-time leader among head coaches in
both wins (67) and games coached (138).
Ross was named the 19th head coach in team history January
13, 1997, and led the club back to the playoff s in his inaugural
year at the helm with a 9-7 record. That season, Sanders, who
was inducted into the Hall of Fame in August 2004, continued
his storybook career by becoming only the third player in league
history to record 2,000 yards rushing in a single-season (2,053)
and he reeled off an NFL record 14 consecutive 100-yard outings
to fi nish the season.
The Lions closed out the 1990s reaching the playoff s for the
sixth time in the 10-year span, which is a franchise record for
playoff appearances during a decade. Detroit’s playoff berth in
1999 marked the second time in Ross’ fi rst three years as head
coach that he led the Lions into the postseason. The last Lions’
head coach to accomplish that feat was Buddy Parker in 1952-53
during his second and third seasons at the helm.
A er playing nine games into the 2000 season and compiling
a 5-4 record, Ross abruptly resigned as head coach November 6
and was immediately replaced by Gary Moeller. Moeller guided
the team to a 4-3 record over the last seven games, but narrowly
missed the playoff s with a loss to the Chicago Bears in the season
finale. Following the season, William Clay Ford named Matt
Millen president and CEO, and he assumed control over team
operations. On January 25, 2001 Gary Moeller was replaced as
head coach by former San Francisco 49ers off ensive coordinator
Marty Mornhinweg.
On April 1, 2002, Detroit relocated the team’s day-to-day
operations into the new $36 million Headquarters and Training
Facility in Allen Park. The new complex features outdoor and indoor
practice fi elds, spacious training and meeting rooms and even the
team’s own broadcast studio.
A new era in Lions’ history dawned as Ford Field, the team’s
$500 million downtown Detroit stadium, opened its doors in August
2002. The 65,000-seat stadium sparkled as its retro and innovative
features glistened in the national spotlight as the premiere sports
and entertainment complex. The Lions played the fi rst game at Ford
Field August 24, 2002 in a preseason tilt against the Pittsburgh
Steelers. The inaugural regular season game was played between
the Lions and the Green Bay Packers September 22, 2002.
In January 2003, Mornhinweg was fi red a er two seasons and
former San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Steve Mariucci was tabbed
the new Lions’ head coach February 4.
For the fi rst time since the Lions placed the Leaping Lion
logo on the players’ helmets in 1961, Detroit announced a major
addition to the team’s uniform on April 23, 2003. The Lions’
classic uniform was enhanced with black trim on the logo, jerseys
and pants, along with black shoes and black facemasks. In April
2005, the team introduced an alternate black jersey that would
be worn through 2007.
On November 28, 2005, Steve Mariucci was relieved of his duties
as head coach and defensive coordinator Dick Jauron was named
interim head coach for the remaining fi ve games.
In 2006, the Lions hired Rod Marinelli as the team’s 24th head
coach, a position he would hold through 2008.
In 2008, the Lions commemorated the franchise’s 75th season
in Detroit. Just a handful of NFL teams have been around as long
as the Lions, a franchise that spans several generations of fans
over the years. Detroit has called three diff erent stadiums home
with nearly 1,400 players seeing action on a given gameday and
numerous coaches strolling the sideline. That history is rich with
great players who have donned the uniform -- the Lions are one
of only nine teams to have at least 18 Pro Football Hall of Fame
players don their respective uniforms -- and with traditions like
the “Honolulu Blue and Silver”, the leaping Lion logo, the “Roaring
20’s” and the team’s annual Thanksgiving Tradition.
With 78 years now in the rear-view mirror, Detroit is surging
ahead in a new era of Lions football. In 2009, for the fi rst time in
team history, the team entered the season with a new president,
Tom Lewand, a new general manager, Martin Mayhew, and a new
head coach, Jim Schwartz, hired January 16, 2009. Together, they
have been the driving force for the team’s success on and off the
fi eld. In that same year, the Lions introduced a new logo and new