detroit lions vs. st. louis rams the season begins consistency up front ...

SILAS
MCKINNIE
Regional
Scout
Years with Lions: 10
Silas McKinnie enters his 10th season as personnel scout with
the Lions. Prior to joining the club in 2003, McKinnie spent fi ve NFL
seasons (1997-2002) as a regional scout with the Minnesota Vikings.
Before joining the Vikings, McKinnie concluded a 20-year career as
a college basketball coach, including a three-year stint as an assistant
coach for the University of Miami (1994-96).
McKinnie played football at the University of Iowa from 1965-67,
where he earned All-Big 10 honors as a running back. He graduated in
1968 with a bachelor’s degree in speech and dramatic arts. Following
graduation, McKinnie played fi ve seasons of professional football with
the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League
(1968-71, ’73). He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1972, but
played the season with the Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Silas Anthony McKinnie was born in Detroit. He attended
Robichaud High School in Dearborn, Mich., where he earned all-state
honors in both football and basketball. He has a daughter, Ixchel,
and a son, Lance.
DAVE
SEARS
Regional
Scout
Years with Lions: 6
Dave Sears joined the team as a regional scout in May 2007 a er
spending seven seasons with the Houston Texans organization. He
joined the Texans’ personnel department in May 2000 to scout the
central region.
Prior to his stint in Houston, Sears spent three seasons (1997-
2000) working with Washington’s scouting department. He started
with the Redskins as an intern in January 1997 and was hired as their
scouting administrator in May. Sears was promoted as the Redskins’
BLESTO scout in May of 1998. He also spent time interning for the
Springfi eld Falcons in the American Hockey League.
Sears earned a bachelor degree in sports management from
Springfi eld (Mass.) College and he was a four-year linebacker for
Springfi eld’s football team. He attended Hauppauge High School in
his hometown of Hauppauge, N.Y., and lettered in football, basketball
and lacrosse.
Sears is married to wife, Nancy and together they have a
daughter, Delaine.
DAVE
UYRUS
National
Scout
Years with Lions: 13
Dave Uyrus joined the Lions’ personnel department as an area
scout in June 2000, and 2011 marks his 13th season with the club.
Prior to joining the club’s scouting staff , Uyrus spent seven years
(1994-2000) with New England. He started as their assistant director
of pro scouting (1994-96) and then was director of pro scouting for
three years (1997-99). Uyrus worked as a national scout for the
Patriots in 2000.
Uyrus has been coaching and scouting in the collegiate and
professional ranks for nearly 40 years, beginning with his fi rst job
in 1974 as freshman coach of his alma mater, Middlebury College.
In 1975 he coached the varsity tight ends at Brown University and
the following year he was an assistant coach at Lee High School
in Lee, Massachusetts. He then joined Dick MacPherson’s staff at
EXECUTIVES & COACHING
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Massachusetts as a graduate assistant in 1977-78 before moving on to
American International in 1979 and Merchant Marine Academy in 1980.
Following those stints, Uyrus then re-joined MacPherson’s staff at
Syracuse in 1981. He spent 10 seasons (1981-90) with the Orangeman,
six as the tight ends and special teams coach (1985-90). He moved into
the professional ranks a er MacPherson was named the head coach of
the Patriots in 1991. He spent the 1991-92 campaigns as the Patriots’
assistant defensive line and special teams coach before coaching the
tight ends and special teams at Cornell in 1993.
As a player, Uyrus earned honorable mention Little All-American,
All-ECAC and All-New England Small College honors as a junior at
Middlebury.
He and his wife, Heidi, have two daughters: Haley and Gwendolyn.
CEDRIC
SAUN DERS
Vice President of
Football Operations
Years with Lions: 7
Cedric Saunders is in his seventh year with the Lions and was
named vice president of football operations September 24, 2008. In
2007, Saunders was promoted to director of football operations in
his second season with the club. He came to Detroit a er spending
the previous fi ve seasons with Tampa Bay.
Saunders works closely with Executive Vice President of Football
Operations and General Manager Martin Mayhew and oversees
the team’s football operations, including the coordination of the
year-round football calendar. Among his football operations duties,
Saunders oversees the Lions’ player development department, video
department, equipment operations, team travel, athletic training
staff, strength and conditioning, cafeteria operations, security
department and human resources. Along with the coordination of those
departments, he handles the annual budgets for the coaching staff ,
coaching support staff and player personnel department.
He also assists with player personnel, including the development
of the team’s roster, college scouting and on-campus visits and pro
talent evaluation. Saunders plays a role in the coordination of the
team’s free agency and dra agenda, including free agent and dra
eligible visits.
Each season, Saunders is responsible for interviewing and hiring
coaching interns as part of the NFL Minority Coaching Program.
In addition to his various football operations responsibilities, he
also assists with contract negotiation.
While directing the player development department in Tampa
Bay, Saunders helped get players involved in continuing education
programs, off -season internships and jobs to prepare for possible
post-NFL careers. He was also the main contact between the players
and the club’s community relations department and encouraged player
involvement in charities and community activities.
Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Saunders spent the previous
two seasons as an area scout for the Kansas City Chiefs, evaluating
college talent in the Midwest. A native of Sarasota, Fla., Saunders
was in training camp for three seasons with Tampa Bay (1994-96), and
saw action on both the practice squad and active roster in 1995 as a
tight end and special teams player. He also played with the Scottish
Claymores of NFL Europe in 1997.
A four-year starter at Ohio State, Saunders posted 68 career
receptions for 853 yards for the Buckeyes. He recorded 27 catches
and earned second-team All-Big 10 honors as a senior in 1993 and
was an honorable mention selection as a junior.
Saunders and his wife, Bashi, have two daughters, Reegan and
Charlie Bleu, and two sons, Cayden and Kai.