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Detroit Lions
Current season
Detroit Lions logo
Detroit Lions wordmark
Logo Wordmark
Detroit Lions Uniforms 2024-Present.png
Uniforms
Basic info
Established July 12, 1930; 95 years ago (1930-07-12)
Stadium Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
Headquartered Meijer Performance Center
Allen Park, Michigan
Colors Honolulu blue, silver, white, black
                   
Fight song Gridiron Heroes
Mascot Roary the Lion
Personnel
Owner(s) Sheila Ford Hamp
Chairman Sheila Ford Hamp
President Rod Wood
General manager Brad Holmes
Head coach Dan Campbell
Team history
  • Portsmouth Spartans (1928–1933)
  • Detroit Lions (1934–present)
Home fields
  • Universal Stadium (1930)
  • University of Detroit Stadium (1934, 1940)
  • Tiger Stadium (1938, 1941)
  • Pontiac Silverdome (1975)
  • Ford Field (2002–present)
League / conference affiliations
National Football League (1930–present)
  • Western Division (1933–1949)
  • National Conference (1950–1952)
  • Western Conference (1953–1969)
    • Central Division (1967–1969)
  • National Football Conference (1970–present)
    • NFC Central (1970–2001)
    • NFC North (2002–present)
Championships
League championships: 4
Conference championships: 4
  • NFL National: 1952
  • NFL Western: 1953, 1954, 1957
Division championships: 6
  • NFL Western: 1935
  • NFC Central: 1983, 1991, 1993
  • NFC North: 2023, 2024
Playoff appearances (20)
  • NFL: 1932, 1935, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2023, 2024
Owner(s)
  • Harry N. Snyder (1930–1934)
  • George A. Richards (1934–1940)
  • Fred L. Mandel Jr. (1940–1948)
  • Detroit Football Company (1948–1964)
  • William Clay Ford Sr. (1964–2014)
  • Martha Firestone Ford (2014–2020)
  • Sheila Ford Hamp (2020–present)

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team. They are based in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions play in the National Football League (NFL). They are part of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Their home games are held at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.

The team started in Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1928. They were first known as the Portsmouth Spartans. They officially joined the NFL on July 12, 1930. Because of money problems, the team moved to Detroit in 1934. They were renamed the Lions. This name was chosen to connect with Detroit's baseball team, the Detroit Tigers.

The Lions won four NFL Championship Games. These wins happened between 1935 and 1957. After their 1957 championship, the team did not win a playoff game again until the 1991 season. They won another playoff game in the 2023 season. The Lions are the only team that has been in the NFL since the Super Bowl era began and has never played in a Super Bowl.

Team History and Achievements

The Detroit Lions have a long history in the NFL. They have been playing for many decades. The team has had its ups and downs.

Early Success and Championships

The Lions had great success in their early years. They won four NFL Championship Games. These were in 1935, 1952, 1953, and 1957. These wins showed they were one of the best teams back then.

Recent Playoff Appearances

After 1957, the Lions faced a long period without playoff wins. They finally won a playoff game in the 1991 season. More recently, they won another playoff game in the 2023 season. This brought new excitement to their fans.

Team Colors and Uniforms

1986 Jeno's Pizza - 13 - Billy Sims
Billy Sims (No. 20) playing in 1980.

The Lions' uniforms have mostly stayed the same since 1934. They use silver helmets and silver pants. Their jerseys are either blue or white. The blue color is called "Honolulu blue." It is inspired by the color of ocean waves in Hawaii.

In the past, there were small changes. From 1948 to 1950, the team briefly wore scarlet and black. This was changed back to blue and silver. Over the years, the stripe patterns on the sleeves changed. The colors of the jersey numbers also changed.

Modern Uniform Updates

In 2003, black trim was added to the logo and jerseys. The helmet facemasks changed from blue to black. In 2005, an alternate black jersey was introduced.

In 2009, the Lions updated their logo. The lion now had a flowing mane and fangs. The team also got new uniforms.

Detroit lions unif17
The Detroit Lions' uniform design from 2017 to 2023.

In 2017, the team removed black from their main colors. The logo border changed to silver. New uniforms were shown. These included a white jersey with blue pants. An all-grey uniform and an all-Honolulu blue uniform were also introduced. The initials "WCF" were added to the left sleeve. This honors William Clay Ford Sr., who owned the team for many years.

In 2023, the Lions celebrated their 90th season. They wore a special patch on their jerseys. They also introduced an alternate blue helmet. This helmet featured a classic 1960s logo.

New Uniforms for 2024

On April 18, 2024, the Lions showed off new jerseys. The home jersey is Honolulu blue with white numbers. The road jersey is white with Honolulu blue numbers. They also brought back a black alternate jersey. This black jersey was a favorite of head coach Dan Campbell. It is worn with a special alternate blue helmet. The team also kept their throwback jersey.

Thanksgiving Day Tradition

DetroitLionsRunningPlay-2007
The Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day in 2007.

The Detroit Lions have a special tradition. They play a home game every Thanksgiving Day. This tradition started in 1934. The team owner at the time, George A. Richards, made a deal to broadcast the game on the radio. The Lions have played on Thanksgiving almost every year since then. The only exceptions were during World War II.

Key Players and Coaches

Current Roster

Detroit Lions roster
Quarterbacks
  • 16 Jared Goff
  • 10 Nate Sudfeld

Running backs

  • 45 Jason Cabinda FB
  • 42 Justin Jackson
  • 46 Craig Reynolds
  • 32 D'Andre Swift
  • 30 Jamaal Williams

Wide receivers

  •  4 D. J. Chark
  • 11 Kalif Raymond
  •  8 Josh Reynolds
  • 14 Amon-Ra St. Brown
  •  9 Jameson Williams

Tight ends

  • 82 James Mitchell
  • 89 Brock Wright
  • 84 Shane Zylstra
Offensive linemen
  • 74 Kayode Awosika T
  • 63 Evan Brown C
  • 68 Taylor Decker T
  • 73 Jonah Jackson G
  • 67 Matt Nelson T
  • 66 Ross Pierschbacher G
  • 77 Frank Ragnow C
  • 58 Penei Sewell T
  • 70 Dan Skipper T
  • 71 Logan Stenberg G

Defensive linemen

  • 90 Michael Brockers DT
  • 96 Isaiah Buggs DT
  • 79 John Cominsky DE
  • 97 Aidan Hutchinson DE
  • 94 Benito Jones DT
  • 54 Alim McNeill DT
  • 95 Romeo Okwara DE
  • 93 Josh Paschal DE
Linebackers
  • 34 Alex Anzalone OLB
  • 55 Derrick Barnes MLB
  • 49 Chris Board OLB
  •  2 Austin Bryant OLB
  • 59 James Houston OLB
  • 57 Anthony Pittman MLB
  • 44 Malcolm Rodriguez OLB
  • 51 Josh Woods OLB

Defensive backs

  •  5 DeShon Elliott FS
  • 25 Will Harris SS
  • 23 Mike Hughes CB
  • 39 Jerry Jacobs CB
  • 31 Kerby Joseph SS
  • 26 Ifeatu Melifonwu CB
  • 38 C. J. Moore FS
  •  1 Jeff Okudah CB
  • 24 Amani Oruwariye CB

Special teams

  • 17 Michael Badgley K
  • 47 Scott Daly LS
  •  3 Jack Fox P
Reserve lists
  • -- Greg Bell RB (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 19 Trinity Benson WR (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 87 Quintez Cephus WR (IR-DFR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 53 Charles Harris DE (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 78 Tommy Kraemer G (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 36 Chase Lucas CB (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 99 Julian Okwara DE (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 91 Levi Onwuzurike DT (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 27 Bobby Price CB (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 72 Halapoulivaati Vaitai G (IR) Injury icon 2.svg
  • 21 Tracy Walker FS (IR) Injury icon 2.svg


Rookies in italics
Roster updated December 31, 2022
Depth ChartTransactions

53 Active, 11 Inactive, 15 Practice Squad

→ AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Famous Players

Many great players have worn the Lions uniform. Some of the most famous include:

LaynewithLions
Bobby Layne
Joe Schmidt (Pitt)
Joe Schmidt

Retired Jersey Numbers

The Lions have honored some of their best players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team can wear that number.

Detroit Lions retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure Retired
7 Dutch Clark B 1931–1932
1934–1938
October 15, 1939
20 Lem Barney CB 1967–1977 November 25, 2004
Billy Sims RB 1980–1984
Barry Sanders RB 1989–1998
22 Bobby Layne QB, K 1950–1958
37 Doak Walker HB, K, P 1950–1955 December 11, 1955
56 Joe Schmidt 1 LB 1953–1965
85 Chuck Hughes 2 WR 1970–1971

Notes:

  • 1 The No. 56 was temporarily unretired with Schmidt's blessing when the Lions acquired linebacker Pat Swilling from the New Orleans Saints. No player has worn it since Swilling left.
  • 2 This number was retired after Chuck Hughes passed away during a game in 1971. However, the number has been used by other players since then.

Pro Football Hall of Fame Members

Many former Lions players have been honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the greatest players in football history.

Head Coaches

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell
Dan Campbell, the head coach of the Detroit Lions.

The Lions have had many head coaches. Their first coach was Hal Griffen in 1930. Wayne Fontes coached the team for the longest time, from 1988 to 1996. The current head coach of the Detroit Lions is Dan Campbell. He became the coach on January 20, 2021.

Team Rivalries

The Lions play against other teams in their division twice a year. These games are often very exciting.

Divisional Rivals

  • Chicago Bears: The Lions and Bears have been rivals since 1933. They first played in 1930. The Bears have won more games in this series.
  • Green Bay Packers: This rivalry also started in 1933. The Packers have won more games against the Lions.
  • Minnesota Vikings: The Lions and Vikings have played each other since 1961. The Vikings have won more games in their series.

Historic Rivalries

  • Cleveland Browns: In the 1950s, the Lions and Browns played in four NFL Championship Games. The Lions won three of these. This was a big rivalry back then.
  • Los Angeles Rams: The Lions have played the Rams many times. They had an exciting playoff game in the 2023-24 playoffs. The Lions won that game.

Team Broadcasts

Radio and TV Coverage

The Lions' games are broadcast on radio and TV. Their main radio station is WXYT-FM. Dan Miller does the play-by-play. Lomas Brown provides color commentary.

For TV, WJBK is the main station for preseason games. Regular season games are shown on Fox or CBS. The special Thanksgiving Day game is always shown nationally.

Local Game Blackouts

In the past, some Lions games were not shown on local TV. This happened if not enough tickets were sold. However, since 2015, the NFL stopped this rule. Now, all Lions games are shown on local TV, no matter how many tickets are sold.

Lions Cheerleaders

On June 13, 2016, the Lions added cheerleaders to their team. This was the first time in over 40 years they had an official cheerleading squad. The cheerleaders perform during games. They also take part in community events.

See also

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