NFL Team by Team Guide: Detroit Lions
The Lions franchise was established in 1930 as the Portsmouth Spartans based in Portsmouth, Ohio. Despite some early success, the franchise was relocated to Detroit and began play as the Lions in 1934. The team has won four NFL championships, but all four came before the 1960 expansion of the NFL. The Lions last title was in 1957 giving the franchise the second-longest championship drought (Cardinals are first) in the NFL.
Detroit is the only NFL franchise to have been in operation for all 54 of the Super Bowl era seasons without having appeared in the ultimate game. The Browns have never appeared in a Super Bowl either, but they were not in operation from 1996 to 1998.
In 1934, team owner George A. Richards negotiated an agreement for the Lions Thanksgiving Day game to be broadcast live on radio stations across the country. That began a tradition of Detroit playing every Thanksgiving Day.
Detroit is occasionally on national broadcasts like Monday Night Football. Regional coverage can be viewed on FOX Sports and CBS. Lions fans can watch nearly the complete Detroit schedule via live streaming using a service such as HULU or fuboTV.
Home of the Lions
When the Lions moved to Detroit, they began play in the University of Detroit Stadium which was the franchise home until 1940. The Lions shared Tiger Stadium with the city’s MLB team before moving into the Pontiac Silverdome in 1975. Detroit has played at Ford Field since 2002. Ford Field seats 65,000.
Championship History
The Lions have a long history but their success has been limited. Detroit has only won four division titles (1935, 1983, 1991, and 1993) in NFL history. The Lions big period of success was in the 1950s when the team won four conference championships (1952, 1953, 1954, and 1957). Those are also the Lions’ only NFL championships.
Detroit has made 17 NFL playoff appearances and is one of four teams that have never participated in a Super Bowl.
Best of the Lions
Barry Sanders is one of the all-time great running backs in the history of the NFL. He was a Pro Bowl selection in each of his 10 NFL seasons, all with Detroit. In all ten seasons, Sanders was either a first-team (6 times) or second-team (4) All-Pro. He was the league Offensive Player of the Year twice (1994, 1997), led the league in rushing four times, and as the NFL MVP in 1997. Sanders was a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Bobby Layne led the Lions to three NFL championships in 1952, ’53, and ’57. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro while a Lion. Layne is a member of the NFL’s 1950s All-Decade team and he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
Lem Barney played ten seasons in the NFL from 1967 to 1977, all with Detroit. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as a cornerback in seven (1967-69, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1976) of those seasons. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1967, and led the league in interceptions that year. Barney was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.
Author: Dan Anderson