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Detroit Lions History
Detroit welcomed the Lions in 1934, but it was not the area's first 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 after two years. The Detroit Panthers appeared in 1925, but also folded after two seasons. In 1928, the Detroit Wolverines were formed, but they failed after just one year.
In 1930, the then-10-year-old National Football League added a franchise from Portsmouth, Ohio, called the Spartans. After 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 average crowds of 16,000 people, 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 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 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. And 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 taken their places in the annals of pro football in Detroit.
In 1967, Schmidt began the first of six seasons as head coach of the Lions. His 1970 team made the playoffs, (first post-season trip since '57) but lost in the first round to Dallas by the baseball-like score of 5-0.
Prior to the '75 season, the Lions moved into a new, domed stadium in Pontiac, Michigan, a suburb located 30 miles north of Detroit. The Silverdome remains the world's largest air-supported domed structure and seats over 80,000 spectators under a fiberglass roof, and remains the largest capacity in the NFL.
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' first playoff appearance since 1970. Detroit captured the NFC Central Division crown in 1983, but stumbled in the first round of the playoffs with a 24-23 loss at San Francisco.
Darryl Rogers replaced Clark in 1985 but was replaced on an interim basis by his defensive coordinator, Wayne Fontes, in November 1988, after Rogers' teams had posted a combined 18-40 record. Fontes officially was named the 17th head coach of the Detroit Lions on December 22, 1988.
The Lions "Restored the Roar" in 1991, winning a franchise-record 12 regular season games. Riding a tide of emotion after guard Mike Utley's paralyzing neck injury, Detroit defeated Dallas, 38-6, in the Lions' first 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 finished 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 offense and won their final 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 first 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 final Monday night of the season in San Francisco. The Lions, however, finished a disappointing 5-11 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, finished his career as the team's all-time leader among head coaches in both wins (67) and games coached (138).
Ross was named the 18th head coach in team history January 13, 1997, and led the club back to the playoffs in his inaugural year at the helm with a 9-7 record. That season, Sanders 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 finish the season.
The Lions closed out the 1990s reaching the playoffs for sixth time in the ten-year span, which is a franchise record for playoff appearances during a decade. Detroit's playoff berth marked the second time in Bobby Ross' first three years as head coach that he has led the Lions into the post season. The last Lions' head coach to accomplish that feat was Buddy Parker in 1952-53 during his second and third seasons at the helm.
After nine games into the 2002 season and compiling a 5-4 record, Bobby Ross abruptly resigned as hed 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 playoffs 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 of team operations. On January 25, 2001, Gary Moeller was replaced as head coach by former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.
On April 1 2002, Detroit opened operations in the team's new $35.5 million headquarters and training facility in Allen Park. That move was followed by the Lions' first game ever at Ford Field, the $500 million downtown stadium. The Lions fell 34-22 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason matchup. The Lions officially opened Ford Field on September 22, 2002, against NFC North Division rival Green Bay Packers, but lost 37-31.
Following the two worst back-to-back seasons in Lions history, Matt Millen fired Marty Mornhinweg, who compiled a 5-27 mark over the two years on January 27, 2003. Just eight days later, the Lions hired former San Francisco 49ers head coach and Michigan native Steve Mariucci as their 22nd head coach.
During his third season in Detroit, Mariucci and his Lions held a 4-7 record after their Thanksgiving Day loss against Atlanta. The following Monday, Millen released Mariucci and named defensive coordinator Dick Jauron as the interim head coach. Detroit finished the season 5-11 and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive line/assistant head coach Rod Marinelli was named the 24th Lions' coach in franchise history on January 19, 2006.
Lions Photos
Detroit Lions Greats
