best ever lions players

It’s highly unlikely Blough would turn the offense around with the talent surrounding the quarterback. Nobody has ever played more games than Hanson for a single NFL franchise, and he ended his career as one of the longest-tenured athletes in any team sport's history. Because punters are people too, Jim Arnold deserves a mention here. Brown was a six-time Pro Bowler while paving the way for Barry Sanders over seven seasons and was a fine pass-protector in his own right. Who are the best soccer players ever? He battled. Although Matthew Stafford is likely on the verge of it, Greg Landry's Pro Bowl season in 1971 remains the most recent Pro Bowl season for a Lions quarterback. Join our newsletter to get the latest in sports news delivered straight to your inbox! The MAD Lions top lane player got his start in 2015 on the team Big Plays Incorporated. Unsurprisingly, each of those seasons led to a Pro Bowl for Baker. But, that ultimately limits his suitors. If the Lions were in a different situation with the expectations of winning this season, maybe it’s a different story. He finished his rookie season with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and with three interceptions returned for touchdowns, a then-rookie record. I am here to debate. Flanagan's blocking helped facilitate the first 1,000-yard rusher in Lions history (Steve Owens, in 1971), and was voted a team captain every year from 1969 until his retirement after the 1974 season. The two things Wayne Walker will be best remembered for are his versatility (he played both linebacker and place-kicker, of all things) and his longevity with the Lions (his 200 games with the Lions is second only to Jason Hanson). Goff comes to Detroit after spending the first five seasons of his career (2016-20) with the Rams, who selected him with the first overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft out of the University of California. Despite the fact that the NFL passing game was woefully underdeveloped in Layne's era, he remains the Lions' all-time leader in pass yardage (15,710), and he is the only Lions quarterback in the Hall of Fame for his passing ability (with due respect to Dutch Clark, the era he played in necessitated that he be a rusher first). Found inside – Page 160Bristol has a good team. They've pushed us to the limit ... The third place finish was the team's best ever. ... In the district finale against Tucker High School, she threw out one base runner in the 3rd inning when the Lions led 2-1. For a team with such a well-documented history of losing, the Detroit Lions have fielded a huge amount of talent since the organization was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1929. Lary made nine Pro Bowls in his career (every year except his rookie season and his penultimate one), His body of work put him in the Hall of Fame, which is even more impressive when you consider that he took the 1954 and 1955 seasons off to do a tour in the Army. In his first NFL game, he picked off Bart Starr's first pass and returned it for a touchdown. Harley Sewell was the left guard for the Lions during the Pro Bowl campaigns of Doak Walker and Nick Pietrosante, and he played an integral role in three of the Lions' four championship games during the 1950s (including their wins in 1953 and 1957). Pietrosante finished his Lions career with a very respectable 4.2 yard rushing average despite being listed as a fullback. His first two years in Detroit were the best two years of his career. Despite only being a Lion for six years, Mel Gray is—statistically—the greatest return specialist ever to don the Honolulu blue. An account of the most famous Lions tour of the modern age, featuring brand-new interviews with both the Lions and Springboks players and management, as well as featuring thoughts on the tour from modern-day greats. The Lions need to be looking long-term with their roster. Found inside – Page 83The Golden Lions' star player wears neutral gray sweatpants, plus a gray sweatshirt with RHINEGOLD U. crudely stenciled across the chest in square yellow letters. "His senior year," I say, "will be Sammy's best ever. Holmes needs to inject playmakers anywhere he can, regardless of position. Not content to just be a sixth offensive lineman, as most tight ends were in his era, Sanders was a legitimate receiving target who posted 4,817 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns (still seventh in Lions history) over his 10-year career. However, the prevent defense might allow yardage, but there are plenty of examples when it does work -- with more competent teams. He played seven years with the Lions, making two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro team in that time frame. He owns franchise records in career receptions (670), career receiving yards (9,174), receptions in a season (123) and single-game receptions (14). 5.) There is still no reliable way to quantify offensive line play, especially interior line play. If Lane played today, chances are he would end up owing the league his entire salary. Arnold isn't the greatest overall punter in Lions history but the one who beats him out has a pretty impressive resume, so there's no shame in being second-best in this instance. Arguably the best pure punter in Lions history, Arnold holds the franchise record for net punting average in a season by a full yard, and played for the Lions for eight seasons, including two consecutive Pro Bowl appearances in 1987 and 1988. Moore made four Pro Bowls in his career, which is less than he could have, had he not played while Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin were in their respective primes. He entered the starting lineup as a rookie and made four Pro Bowls, the most by a center in Lions history. It's hard to quantify how good Schmidt was with stats, since tackles, sacks and pass defenses were not recorded in his era. He is still seventh in scoring in Lions history, with his numbers including 53 field goals, 172 PATs, and two touchdowns—on an interception return and a fumble return. Found inside – Page 89In the many years since, the Lions have featured some great players like Lem Barney, Billy Sims, Herman Moore and Barry ... but lifeless place where no coach who lasted at least one full season ever finished with a winning record. With the exception of a stint in 2011 in which Jason Hanson was injured, the Detroit Lions have fielded all of two place-kickers since 1980. Jack Christiansen was the namesake of "Chris' Crew," the name for the Lions defensive backfield during their collective dominance in the 1950s. -- @5xs_the_density. Still, Brown's production and talents anchoring the middle of the defensive line equally matched that of Karras, making them perhaps the most feared defensive tackle tandem of their era. Alex Karras was a great character, as well as a very good football player. Is there a player the Lions can trade at the deadline for picks? As great as Doll was, he played only four seasons in Detroit before being traded to Washington in 1953. The only reason Walker doesn't have any all-time records is because he walked away from the game on his own terms. 1.) Found insideNo, I am not going to select my greatest ever Lions team, because I always think that is an impossible task when you have not seen certain players in the flesh. Comparing players from different eras is difficult enough when you have ... The Lions only got Lane for the final leg of his career, but he still made three Pro Bowls as a Lion, and is not only a Hall of Famer but a player who is absolutely iconic for his era. John Gordy is one of the best interior linemen of the 1960s, and he spent his entire 11-year career as a Lion. It is impossible (or at best, improper) to talk about the high-flying Lions offenses of the 1990s without talking about Kevin Glover, the first man to touch the ball on almost every Barry Sanders rush and Herman Moore catch until 1997. Schlesinger never made a Pro Bowl, though he was voted an alternate three times. The Lions have a number of records related to tackling on the books, and Chris Spielman owns almost all of them. What can be said about Jason Hanson? And all this from a 22nd-round draft pick out of Colorado A&M. His career has been full of ups and downs having ranked 17 - 20 in Worlds 2019 while on Royal Youth and finishing first in the 2021 LEC Spring Playoffs with MAD Lions. At the same time, Flowers could be more useful on other rosters who match better with scheme-fit, are more in win-now mode and have some cap space. In fact, David posted an interception in all three of the Lions' NFL Championship wins during his tenure. It’s a spot where you can find serviceable and even great players after the first two days of the draft. Clark served as player-coach of the Lions for the 1937 and 1938 seasons, because that was a thing that happened back then. The man who will likely go into the Hall of Fame as a coach with the Bengals and Steelers has already earned the honor as a defensive back with the Lions. Whether you call it soccer or football, this extensive list of the greatest soccer players of all time is ranked by fans worldwide. Should the Lions draft two receivers first? Arguably the greatest offensive lineman in Lions history, Lou Creekmur is one of those few players who helped the Lions to all three of their championships in the 1950s. What’s the point of having a highly paid backup quarterback? Goff hasn’t been great, yet he hasn’t been horrible considering the circumstances, either. A: I can’t say I know what Tate is thinking or how desperate he is regarding getting back into the league. He leads the franchise by a wide margin in career tackles with 1,138 (Bennie Blades is second with 815), as well as in single-season tackles with 195. Schmidt called the defensive plays out on the field and was apparently so good at it, that two years after the end of his career, he took over as head coach. Though Gordy's career spanned 11 years, he actually left the game in 1958 in pursuit of a coaching position at Nebraska, but he returned to the game in 1959 and made a great career out of it. List of players who have converted from one football code to another This page was last edited on 16 August 2021, at 06:31 (UTC). , including an impressive 15 sacks in 1999 (fourth-most in franchise history). Found insideGraham Price is widely recognised as one of the best ever tight-head props in the world. ... another renowned Welsh and British Lions prop, “whenever he [Graham Price] would have played he'd have been outstanding”. Found inside – Page 42It is no accident that his time in the green shirt coincided with perhaps the greatest-ever era in Irish rugby. ... him as 'the best player in the Lions team, and, in all the years since, I have never seen a better first five-eighth'. As is the theme for Detroit in 2021, the two top players on the offensive line have missed significant time. His 171 games played with Detroit is sixth all time. As I mentioned in my last mailbag, I think it would be wise to see what kind of offers other teams would consider for the pass rusher. At what point do we see David Blough getting reps with the starters/starting a game? The headline of each slide is ordered as follows: number in countdown, player name, player position and years played with the Lions. 20, Lem Barney was a lockdown cornerback as well as an explosive punt returner. Found insideCaptain Martin Johnson was full of praise for Brian's efforts, and described the game as one of the best he had ever been involved with or seen. However, this was to be his best rugby of the tour. In the remaining two Tests, the Lions ... Sanders made seven Pro Bowls in his 10 years, but more notably, he became the seventh tight end ever enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2007. Answer: The most obvious would be outside linebacker Trey Flowers. By the time he finished his current contract, he should own not only every Lions receiving record but a number of NFL receiving records as well. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports It’s one of the most popular mushroom recipes ever on this site.. Joe Schmidt is the greatest defender ever to play for the Lions. Truly indicative of his era, Layne was a hard-nosed tough guy, to the point that he was one of the last players in the league to refuse to wear a face mask on his helmet (back when that sort of thing was still optional). The Browns will take on the winless Detroit Lions (0-8-1) who are coming off arguably their best game of the season where they tied the Pittsburgh Steelers. The MAD Lions top lane player got his start in 2015 on the team Big Plays Incorporated. Barr still sits tied for third in franchise history in all-time receiving touchdowns (35) and fourth in touchdowns in a season (13, in 1963).Â. Doug English is considered the Lions' all-time leader in sacks for interior defensive linemen with 59. Barney played his entire 11-year career with the Detroit Lions, making seven Pro Bowls and seven All-Pro teams. But this ranking is based not on future production but rather what the man has accomplished to this point in time. Whatever franchise receiving records he doesn't already own, he is within a season or two's striking distance of. I placed particular emphasis on legacy and longevity with the team. Found insideLions team but in the squad. Ireland and Wales, in contrast had few other top players other than those who were starting for the Lions. While both midfielders were Irish no Irish winger or fullback made the initial tour squad. Being inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1968 helps, too. Walker was a three-time Pro Bowler who, oddly enough, led the team in scoring in 1962, 1964 and 1965, then went on to be the Lions' defensive MVP in 1968. I just doubt that will be the case with their first pick -- which is expected to be a top-three pick. Part of the Lions' vaunted "Silver Rush," English terrorized quarterbacks throughout his career, notching four sacks in a game twice, as part of one of the best defensive fronts in Lions history. There are some players who could deserve to be higher on the list, but fell because they only spent four or five years with the Lions. Found inside – Page 41Brettschneider fit in with his new teammates and played his best football during his final four seasons before retiring. He eventually became the Lions' personnel director. “Everybody said you played better over there than you ever did ... And if that doesn't get it for you, he also returned two interceptions for 112 yards during that 1996 season. His 72 career interceptions are a Lions franchise record and are seventh in NFL history. Match of the Day’s Gary … The clip here is of a key interception by David in the 1952 championship game, which the Lions eventually won 17-7. Not only is Bly one of the best corners the Lions have had, but he likely falls in a top 10 of best free-agent signings. Was Barry John better than Johnny Wilkinson? Was anyone better than Gareth Edwards? As incisive and decisive as he was on the pitch, Jonathan Davies has the answer to all these questions and more. If you think I'm crazy, let me know about it. Perriman doesn't exactly have his name printed all over the Lions record books, but he has a couple of claims to fame. Found inside – Page 106“I think we had a good enough team to go to the Super Bowl. ... We would have played those guys next because they beat the Minnesota Vikings. ... “That was probably the Lions' best chance of ever going to the Super Bowl. He is second on the list of career passing yards and will almost assuredly eclipse that mark by the end of his rookie contract. Dees was one of the nation's best players and was named MVP of the 1954 Parade All-American game. His signature move, the "Night Train Necktie," combined a bunch of things that have since been outlawed from the game. He now stands at sixth and fourth in those statistics, respectively, and remains one of the best to ever play. Flowers isn’t old by any means, but at the same time, he will be 29 next season. The original legendary No. What else was there to do?”. Found inside – Page 58It was the best decision I could have ever made. ... Gravely appeared in five games with the Lions in 1993 before once again being released. ... He entered the CFL in 1989 with the BC Lions, where he played through the 1991 season. I recognize that placing a player in the top five players in history when he's still active and in his prime may be a bit shortsighted. I see the defensive issues right now as more a personnel problem. Lary is not only third on the Lions' list of career interceptions but was also a great punter, allowing less than one yard per punt return in 1960 and winning the punting title in three other years. 2 complement to Calvin Johnson for five years, with very little success. Sanders' legend goes beyond just Detroit. Of course he would be at the top of this list, and the only player who might be able to knock him down in the near future is Calvin Johnson, though he'll need about another seven to eight years at his current pace to even think about it. Goff’s contract almost forces the Lions to play him and keep him on the roster next season. Tate is obviously at the end of his career, and spending more money on … Found inside – Page v97 Will Wayne State ever become a Division II college football power? Would Detroit gladly trade its ... As the Lions coach you are down four points with two minutes left. ... 117 Who was the best big-play player in Lions history? But David Sloan, while never flashy, played seven years with the Lions, and was a Pro Bowler in 1999, his best receiving year. Perhaps the only reason Sims isn't in the conversation for the greatest Lions running back of all time is because his career was cut short by injury after five years. And Lions fans are getting a front-row seat to watch a player with a seemingly unlimited ceiling. We are talking about the man who has re-written the Lions record books before the age of 30. Found insidemake a point or two: we were supposed to be one Lions tour, but no one felt it was. ... On a personal level I was aware of all this, as was every other player. ... We probably played against one of the best ever All Black teams. Even if he did want to play, it doesn’t make much sense for the Lions to spend money on the veteran. Murray was a great kicker in his own right, and while he doesn't compare to the thunder-footed superhuman that is Jason Hanson, he comes in second in basically every single meaningful category for kickers in Lions history. 2 receiver. A: I’m going to answer draft questions the same, all the way up to the 2022 draft -- draft the best player available. The Lions have been looking for a true No. Glover paved the way for Sanders for the majority of his career, and while the rest of the offensive line was occasionally a patchwork unit, Glover got the job done. Found insideLife was good. I represented the Lions president's team and played the best rugby of my life for Lions and ... As I jogged back (lesson one, never ever turn your back on your opponent), my teammates shouted that he was coming. But this isn't about lamenting historical failures, it's about appreciating some of the all-time greats, the best players ever to don Honolulu blue and silver—or even Portsmouth Spartan purple. Of course, no offensive lineman who played with the Lions in the 1990s will be remembered for pass protection, because the rushing attack was great, and the pass game was mostly awful. Finally, keep in mind that this is all subjective. Are you okay with Aaron Glenn’s late-game defensive scheme? The move was effectively a combination clothesline/facemask. So there you have it. He is to the Lions what Al Kaline is to the Tigers. Morton averaged over 1,000 yards receiving between 1997 and 2001, despite never being the Lions' first target. Found inside – Page 103But in the nal report on the matter, Rozelle had the audacity to write, “There is no evidence that any NFL player has given less than his best in playing any game. There is no evidence that any player has ever bet against his own team. "Steady" Eddie Murray was the lesser of the two players, but compared to the third-leading scorer in NFL history, that's nothing to be ashamed of. You all saw this coming from the time we started at 50, because it's not even close. According to the Detroit Lions' official website, when asked by the Detroit News' Jerry Green about why he walked away from the game at age 29, he responded, “I’d been on three division champions, two world champions, I’d been to five Pro Bowls, I’d been All-Pro four times. Best earned 124 caps for Ireland, making his debut in 2005 and retiring at the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his fourth World Cup. Nobody has since touched any of those single-season marks. He played in an era that didn't keep sacks as an official stat, otherwise he would likely have been one of the team leaders in getting after the quarterback. When a team has a highly effective rushing attack, it is customary to credit the interior linemen. Sloan wasn't ever … -- @RodStone55. Found insideThey were three of the best back-line coaches ever produced by British rugby, watching the cream of the current ... 'Almost all the Lions were sponsored, with kit from their local agent of a major footwear firm, the Irish players as ... One of the more unheralded heroes of the Lions' "Run and Shoot" offense from the 1990s, Brett Perriman was the epitome of what the Lions would love to have today: a reliable No. Anytime a player gets an award named after them, they're doing something right. As a player, LeBeau developed a reputation as a ball hawk and an iron man. Nick Sirianni called Jalen Hurts’ game “one of the best performances I’ve seen. Stats and information used courtesy of NFL.com, Pro Football Reference, and DetroitLions.com. The only way LeBeau could be a more significant figure in Lions history is if he was putting his brilliant coaching mind to work for the Lions rather than the Steelers. So why is Doll not top-20 material? As with most offensive linemen, we measure Flanagan's success by the success of the offense around him. You'll see that the talent on the Lions roster has been pretty well dispersed over the 80-plus years of Detroit Lions existence. He will perhaps be best remembered for his days playing with Barry Sanders, but he was also an effective short-yardage back, blocking fullback and special teams player for the majority of his career after Sanders' retirement. And Flanagan played in front of some very good offenses. Perriman may have been the third-best receiver on the Lions squad when he played there, but he was a productive and integral part of the offense regardless. Jim David should go down as the biggest draft steal in Detroit Lions history. "The Hatchet," so named because he injured future Hall of Famers Y.A. Found inside – Page 186Ask anyone in the media which team is the easiest to deal with in Brisbane — the answer will be the Lions . ... as the AFL Player of the Century he says : ' I played footy with the unashamed ambition of being the best who ever played ... Best toured … Also, no, I don't know why all the pictures are cut off in this Harley Sewell tribute video/slideshow. My top 50 Lions of all time. Homecoming at Liberty Bell High School Friday night brought out the crowd, the noise and the best of the Mountain Lions as they romped past Entiat 47-6. That was the only Pro Bowl season of Landry's career, but he spent 11 years with the team, and he is remembered as one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history, sad as that is. Sloan wasn't ever really a primary receiving target, but his work as a blocker helped Barry Sanders to some of his best seasons in the late 1990s. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. To show how the game has evolved over the years, Clark finished his career with a 11-26 TD-INT ratio and with 1,507 passing yards. The latest SI All Lions Mailbag focuses on the possibility of Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell benching quarterback Jared Goff and more. For many of the older, historical players, it's difficult to find quality images, so I tried to use something relevant—either footage from a game they played in, an award named for them, or something else loosely related to the player. Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines will open as home underdogs against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Had he finished his career at the same place he'd started it in Detroit, he'd likely be in the top 10. A: I’m assuming this question is mainly regarding the decision to rush three defenders and deploy a prevent-style defense on critical late-game downs. Found insideTop. Ten. Lions. Players. of. All. Time. :: Art. Honorable Mentions: Les Bingaman, Jim David, Alex Wojciechowicz, Yale Lary, Lou Creekmur, Billy Sims, ... The seven-time Pro Bowler was the best Lions offensive lineman in recent memory. Even with his positional versatility, Creekmur was an eight-time Pro Bowler, and his career of pushing people around in front of Doak Walker and Bobby Layne landed him in the Hall of Fame. The goal is to determine the greatest footballers to ever play the game. He posted 13 in the Lions' 1983 season, good for sixth all time in a single season. Found inside – Page 123Showing that he still had something left in the tank, Morris started every game at center for the Lions over the course of those three seasons, being voted the team's “Offensive Player of the Year” by his Lions teammates in 1975. Jan 25, 1981; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oakland Raiders players Mickey Marvin (65), Willie Jones (90), Rod Martin (53), Ted Hendricks (83) and Raymond Chester (88) on the field against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl XV at the Superdome. Backus was never a league great, but he was a rock through some of the bumpiest years in franchise history, and for that, he should be recognized.

Los Angeles Weather March 2022, Best Domestic Raw Steroid Powder, Fun Things To Do When You Have Covid, Is Band Name Vault Legit, Salzburg Winter Holiday, Stephen A Smith Ratings Drop, Crown Princess Refurbishment 2020,