NFL
Top 5 Lions Players of All-Time + Fan Rankings
Create your own all-time rankings of the top 5 greatest players in Detroit Lions history from Barry Sanders to Calvin Johnson to Yale Lary
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The Detroit Lions traded away franchise Quarterback Matthew Stafford on January 30th, 2021 exactly two years ago, making this a perfect time to look at the top 5 greatest Detroit Lions players of all time with him barely cracking the honorable mention due to how many phenomenal players there have been.
The Gridiron Heroes, the Silver Crush, the team who always plays on Thanksgiving, the Detroit Lions have established quite a legacy in the professional football world. Founded in 1930, the Lions came to Detroit due to financial problems and coined their name to match the professional baseball team the Tigers. Detroit has been through five stadiums and settled down in the beautiful Ford Field for many years to come where they show off their Honolulu Blue and Silver uniforms.
Playing in the NFC North division with the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Green Bay Packers, the Lions are in one of the most iconic divisions in league history. Detroit has played host to some of the fiercest rivalries ever seen on a football field. Despite winning four NFL Championships through the 1930s and the 1950s, Detroit has never made an appearance in a Super Bowl. In 2008, the Lions were unfortunately acclaimed as the fourth NFL team to go 0-16, a horrific point in the franchise’s history, but have since seen some moderate success and are looking to move forward for the future.
The Lions are home to over a dozen members enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and some of them are the biggest names in NFL history. A franchise with such a rich past that doesn’t add up to its lack of success. With a unique past for the Detroit Lions, winning needs to be brought in for the future of this franchise. Honorable mention includes: LT Lou Creekmur, QB Bobby Layne, CB Lem Barney, DB Dick LeBeau, and QB Matthew Stafford. Lions fans are hoping DE Aidan Hutchinson or WR Jameson Williams can one day join this list as well.
Here are the top 5 greatest Detroit Lions players of all time. Create your own rankings below!
– Most Career RUSH YDS (15,269) & RUSH TD (99)
– 1997 NFL MVP | 2x NFL OPOY | 1989 NFL OROY
– 6x All-Pro 1st Team | 4x All-Pro 2nd Team | 10x Pro Bowl
The most elusive Running Back of all time, Barry Sanders would make defenders miss with ease and make them look foolish. Sanders’s versatility and ability to see every open gap on the football field made his legacy impossible to overlook.
Barry Sanders' #Lions records:
– Career RUSH YDS (15,269), TD (99), & YPG (99.8)
– Top3 season RUSH YDS (2,053) & TD (16)
– Seasons of 1,000+/1,500+/2,000+ RUSH YDS
– RUSH YDS (237) in 1 GP
– Rookie RUSH YDS (1,470) & TD (14)
– T-most Pro Bowls (10)pic.twitter.com/HaJLv5VIuR— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) November 15, 2022
– 2x NFL champ | 1950’s All-Decade | 100th Anniversary Team
– Detroit Lions 75th Anniversary Team & All-Time Team
– 8x All-Pro 1st Team | 2x All-Pro 2nd Team | 10x Pro Bowl
Joe Schmidt‘s height and unmatched athletic ability made his playmaking impossible to stop on the other side of the ball. Schmidt’s insane hits against Running Backs and coverage up and down the field were a phenomenon to watch.
The Hall of Fame would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Joe Schmidt!
The great @Lions linebacker turns 91 today. #HBD pic.twitter.com/c7my2Yyfx9
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) January 18, 2023
– Most career REC YDS (11,619), REC TD (83), REC (731)
– 2X NFL REC YDS, 2012 REC, & 2008 REC TD Leader
– 3x All-Pro 1st Team | 2010 All-Pro 2nd Team | 6x Pro Bowl
Calvin Johnson was the most dominant Wide Receiver to ever play in the NFL due to his height, strength, and amazing catching ability. Megatron would get doubled-teamed and still succeed, an unstoppable force whose career was cut too short.
Calvin “Megatron” Johnson HOF resume:
– 6x Pro Bowl
– 3x All-Pro 1st Team, 2010 2nd Team
– 2007 PFWA All-Rookie
– 2x NFL REC YDS leader
– 2008 NFL REC TD (12) leader
– 2012 NFL REC (122) leader
– 2010s NFL All-Decade
– NFL season REC YDS (1,964) leaderpic.twitter.com/ztasFO9W84— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) September 20, 2022
– Most INT (50), INT YDS (787), Punts (503), & YDS (22,279)
– 3x NFL Champion | NFL 1950s All-Decade Team
– 3x All-Pro 1st Team | 2x All-Pro 2nd Team | 9x Pro Bowl
Whether it was Safety, Punter, or Defensive Back, Yale Lary played multiple positions and he played them to perfection. Whether it was covering a slant or punting the ball to the one-yard line, Lary was spectacular in whatever he did for the Lions.
We honor the life & career of Hall of Famer Yale Lary #RIP pic.twitter.com/sqmsdNtp9Z
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) May 12, 2017
– 3x All-Pro 1st Team | 6x All-Pro 2nd Team | 4x Pro Bowl
– NFL 1960s All-Decade | Detroit Lions All-Time Team
– 100 unofficial Sacks | Detroit Lion 75th Anniversary Team
A true team leader and a defensive menace, Alex Karras led many Lions defenses that struck fear into opposing offenses. Karras was a run-stopper on the field, and a commander in the huddle, making him legendary.
Enjoy these highlights from Alex Karras' #Lions career.
Congratulations, Karras family. pic.twitter.com/SHRX5LFjPt
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) May 2, 2021
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