The Detroit Lions have not won the NFL title since 1957 and have never won, or even been to, a Super Bowl over the course of their illustrious history.
The Lions were founded in 1929 as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans and experienced a tremendous amount of success early on before evolving (or in this case devolving) into the sad sack bunch of losers NFL fans have grown to know and love.
Last season, Jared Goff, Sam LaPorta and the rest of the Lions' roster began to inspire hope with a division title dedicated to a downtrodden city and state of Detroit fans.
Heading into the 2024-2025 season, Goff got a big endorsement from LaPorta and he will need all the help he can get against an improved NFC North Division that is filled with foes like the Bears and Packers who are currently on the rise.
Goff has already proven himself to be quite the prophet based on a text he made to Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson prior to Amon-Ra St. Brown's breakout season.
Whether or not the “expert” predictions come true for the Lions this season remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: the Lions and their roster of talented football players have plenty of history to draw upon this coming season.
With that in mind, it's time to shift our focus to the best of the best in Detroit Lions history.
These ten players exemplify not just what it means to be a Detroit Lion but also the incredible talent the franchise has churned out over almost a century.
This list is based more on accomplishments than overall talent.
Without further ado, here is the list:
10. Charlie Sanders-
Sanders has seven Pro Bowls to his name and is a three-time former NFL All-Pro.
An athletic tight end with talent and skill ahead of his time, the 6-foot-4, 225 pound Sanders thrilled Lions audiences from 1968 to 1977.
Sanders' pedestrian stats for their time reveal how much the game has changed since the 60s and 70s, but that doesn't discount the enormous impact he had on the Lions franchise and the tight end position in general.
9. Herman Moore-
Moore played on Barry Sanders' teams and set the NFL record for receptions with 123, a number that has since relegated the former Virginia Cavaliers star to the bottom of the top ten list for most receptions in a single season.
Moore's big body and impressive leaping skills made him one of the most exciting players in Lions history, until a guy named Calvin Johnson entered the fray several years later. Moore didn't have the blazing fast speed that Johnson had, but he did have hands of glue and an indomitable spirit that would not be denied, especially in the red zone.
8. Jack Christiansen-
Christiansen was a mainstay on the Lions' 1957 championship defense.
He had 12 interceptions in 1954, two off of the Lions' franchise record set by Dick Lane. Christiansen played from 1951 to 1958 and compiled defensive backs stats that would look incredible on paper in the year 2024, let alone from an era where passing dropbacks were incredibly scarce compared to what occurs in today's game.
7. Lou Creekmur-
The Lions didn't had the best luck on the offensive line from the 90s and 2000s but they do have a strong history led by Creekmur during his time with the Lions' NFL title winning teams.
Creekmur played tackle and guard at 246 pounds showing how much bulk and size has been added to linemen in the modern era. He dominated the competition from 1950 until 1959 during which he made seven All-Pro teams and helped lead the Lions to three NFL titles.
6. Matthew Stafford-
Many lists have the Lions and former Georgia Bulldogs gunslinger ahead of Bobby Layne, but it's hard to put him above Layne in good conscience knowing that he didn't win a playoff game with the Lions, let alone a Super Bowl or NFL championship.
Stafford nonetheless set the Lions' record books on fire which helped him to secure this spot. No Lions fan will ever question his toughness, although they will likely question his big game performances at times and his lack of touch on throws in key moments.
Stafford was a fantastic quarterback in Honolulu Blue and Silver, and he deserves to be ranked highly on this list because of it.
5. Lem Barney-
Barney won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1967 with ten interceptions. He helped bridge the gap between eras of Detroit Lions football, finishing with 57 interceptions and returning seven for touchdowns.
Barney's incredible athletic and amazing coverage skills were ahead of their time, helping him to become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on George “Papa Bear” Halas Drive in Canton, Ohio.
4. Bobby Layne-
Known as much for his drinking habits and temper as his play on the field, Layne quarterbacked the Lions to their last three NFL titles. His highest career passing yards total was just 2,500 plus yards which is why Layne ranks relatively low on this list compared to his in-game accomplishments.
Layne famously “cursed” the Lions following his trade to the Steelers. Layne said the Lions would not win again for 50 years, a prediction that came true, at least in regards to NFL championships.
3. Calvin Johnson-
The ex-Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets star was unlike anything NFL fans and journalists had ever seen. I personally saw him at Lions practice in Allen Park, Michigan and he was the most impressive football player I've ever seen live, except for the number one player on this list (whom you may be able to guess).
The 6-foot-5, 237 pound matchup nightmare was one of the best deep ball catchers in NFL history, perhaps second only to Randy Moss.
He was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 2018 and the NFL Hall of Fame in 2021.
If not for injuries and his team's inconsistencies, he may be in the conversation with Moss and Rice for best WR in NFL history consideration more often than he already is in today's day and age.
2. Joe Schmidt-
Joseph Paul Schmidt, aka Joe Schmidt, started a rough and tumble tradition of Lions linebackers that continued with Chris Spielman in the 1990s.
Schmidt played his entire career with the Lions from 1953 to 1965, securing fourth and fifth place AP MVP Award honors with Detroit, losing out to Jim Brown in 1957 and Jim Traylor in 1962.
1. Barry Sanders-
There are simply not enough superlatives to describe how incredible this man's brilliance on the football field was during his 10 year career in Detroit. Perhaps it's best to let the video speak.
Sanders is a Hall-of-Famer who would have set the NFL's all-time leading rushing record if he hadn't rode off into the sunset in 1999.
As it stands, he is still widely considered as the best running back in NFL history by many fans, along with Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and a host of others.
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