Detroit Lions facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Detroit Lions

Current season


Logo	Wordmark

Uniforms

Basic info

Established

July 12, 1930; 94 years ago

Colors

Honolulu blue, silver, black, white

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 (1930–1933)
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

NFL championships (pre–1970 AFL–NFL merger) (4)
1935, 1952, 1953, 1957

Conference championships: 4

NFL National: 1952
NFL Western: 1953, 1954, 1957

Division championships: 5

NFL Western: 1935
NFC Central: 1983, 1991, 1993
NFC North: 2023

Playoff appearances (19)

NFL: 1932, 1935, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2023

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 played at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.

The team started in Portsmouth, Ohio in 1930. Back then, they were called the Portsmouth Spartans. In 1934, the team moved to Detroit. They were renamed the Lions, just like Detroit's baseball team, the Detroit Tigers.

The Lions won four NFL Championship Games between 1935 and 1957. After 1957, they didn't win another playoff game until 1991. They won again in 2023. The Lions are the only team that has played in the NFL since the Super Bowl started but has never made it to the Super Bowl.

Team Colors and Uniforms

Billy Sims (No. 20) playing in 1980.

The Detroit Lions' uniforms have mostly stayed the same since 1934. They usually wear silver helmets and pants. Their jerseys are either blue or white.

In 1934, team owner George A. Richards asked player Glenn Presnell and his wife to pick the team's colors. They chose blue and silver. The blue color is called "Honolulu blue." It's inspired by the color of ocean waves in Hawaii.

Over the years, there have been small changes to the uniforms.

In 1956, "TV numbers" were added to the jersey sleeves. These numbers help TV broadcasters identify players.
In 1970, white trim was added to the team logo.
In 1984, the silver facemasks on the helmets became blue.
In 1999, the "TV numbers" moved from the sleeves to the shoulders.

In 1994, the Lions wore special throwback jerseys. These looked like the jerseys from their 1935 championship season. The helmets had no logos, just like in the old days.

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

The Detroit Lions' uniform design from 2017 to 2023.

In 2009, the Lions changed their main logo. The lion now had a flowing mane and fangs. They also updated their uniforms.

In 2017, the team removed the color black from their main identity. The logo border changed from black to silver. They also showed off new uniforms. These included a white jersey with blue pants, which hadn't been seen since 1998. They also added an all-grey uniform and an all-Honolulu blue uniform. The initials "WCF" were added to the left sleeve. This was a tribute to 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 unveiled an alternate blue helmet with a 1960s logo. This was the first time they wore a blue helmet since 1955.

In 2024, the Lions showed off new jersey sets.

The home jersey is "One Pride" blue with white numbers.
The road white jersey is "the 313" with blue numbers and a "Detroit" wordmark.
A black alternate jersey, "Motor City Muscle," returned. Head coach Dan Campbell wanted the black jersey back.
The throwback jersey was also updated.
The "WCF" memorial decal is now on the back of the helmets.

Thanksgiving Day Tradition

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, George A. Richards, made a deal with NBC radio to broadcast the game live. The Lions have played on Thanksgiving almost every year since then, except during World War II.

Famous Players

Current Team 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)
19 Trinity Benson WR (IR)
87 Quintez Cephus WR (IR-DFR)
53 Charles Harris DE (IR)
78 Tommy Kraemer G (IR)
36 Chase Lucas CB (IR)
99 Julian Okwara DE (IR)
91 Levi Onwuzurike DT (IR)
27 Bobby Price CB (IR)
72 Halapoulivaati Vaitai G (IR)
21 Tracy Walker FS (IR)

Rookies in italics
Roster updated December 31, 2022
Depth Chart • Transactions
53 Active, 11 Inactive, 15 Practice Squad

→ AFC rosters → NFC rosters

AFC East: BUF; MIA; NE; NYJ
North: BAL; CIN; CLE; PIT
South: HOU; IND; JAX; TEN
West: DEN; KC; LV; LAC

NFC East: DAL; NYG; PHI; WAS
North: CHI; DET; GB; MIN
South: ATL; CAR; NO; TB
West: ARI; LAR; SF; SEA

Calvin Johnson

Bobby Layne

Barry Sanders

Charlie Sanders

Joe Schmidt

Doak Walker

Retired Jersey Numbers

Some jersey numbers are so special that no other player on the team can wear them again. This honors the great players who wore them.

No.	Player	Position	Years Played	Retired Date
Detroit Lions Retired Numbers
7	Dutch Clark	Quarterback	1931–1932, 1934–1938	October 15, 1939
20	Lem Barney	Cornerback	1967–1977	November 25, 2004
	Billy Sims	Running back	1980–1984
	Barry Sanders	Running back	1989–1998
22	Bobby Layne	Quarterback, Kicker	1950–1958
37	Doak Walker	Halfback, Kicker, Punter	1950–1955	December 11, 1955
56	Joe Schmidt	Linebacker	1953–1965
85	Chuck Hughes	Wide receiver	1970–1971

Note: Number 56 was briefly worn again by Pat Swilling with Joe Schmidt's permission.
Note: Number 85 was retired after Chuck Hughes passed away during a game. However, the number has been used again over the years.

Team Staff

Current Staff

Detroit Lions staff

Front office

Owner – Sheila Ford Hamp
Vice chairpeople – William Clay Ford Jr., Martha Ford Morse and Elizabeth Ford Kontulis
Team president – Rod Wood
Special assistant to chairman and president & CEO – Chris Spielman
Executive vice president/general manager – Brad Holmes
Assistant general manager – Ray Agnew
Director of player personnel – Lance Newmark
Director of pro scouting – Rob Lohman
Director of college scouting – Dave Sears
Director of scouting advancement – Mike Martin
Senior personnel executive – John Dorsey

Head coaches

Head coach – Dan Campbell
Assistant head coach/running backs – Duce Staley

Offensive coaches

Offensive coordinator – Ben Johnson
Quarterbacks – Mark Brunell
Wide receivers – Antwaan Randle El
Assistant wide receivers – Seth Ryan
Tight ends/passing game coordinator – Tanner Engstrand
Offensive line – Hank Fraley
Senior offensive assistant – John Morton
Offensive quality control – Steve Oliver
Offensive assistant – J. T. Barrett
WCF minority fellowship – Deon'tae Pannell

Defensive coaches

Defensive coordinator – Aaron Glenn
Defensive line – Todd Wash
Assistant defensive line – Cameron Davis
Linebackers – Kelvin Sheppard
Safeties – Brian Duker
Defensive assistant/outside linebackers – David Corrao
Defensive quality control – Addison Lynch
Defensive quality control – Wayne Blair
WCF minority fellowship – Shaun Dion Hamilton

Special teams coaches

Special teams coordinator – Dave Fipp
Assistant special teams – Jett Modkins

Coaching administration

Chief of staff/head coach administration – Kevin Anderson

Strength and conditioning

Director of sports performance – Mike Clark
Director of sports science – Jill Costanza
Head strength & conditioning – Josh Schuler
Assistant strength & conditioning – Morris Henry

→ Coaching staff
→ Management
→ More NFL staffs

Head Coaches

Dan Campbell is the current head coach of the Detroit Lions.

The Lions have had many head coaches throughout their history. 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 is Dan Campbell, who started in 2021.

Team Rivalries

The Lions have exciting rivalries with other teams in the NFL.

Divisional Rivals

These are teams in the same division as the Lions, so they play each other twice every season.

Chicago Bears

The Lions and Chicago Bears first played in 1930. They have been division rivals since 1933. The Bears have won more games in this rivalry.

Green Bay Packers

The Lions and Green Bay Packers first played in 1929. They have also been division rivals since 1933. The Packers have won more games in this rivalry.

Minnesota Vikings

The Lions and Minnesota Vikings have played each other twice a year since 1961. The Vikings have won more games in this rivalry.

Historic Rivalries

Cleveland Browns

The Lions and Cleveland Browns had a big rivalry in the 1950s. They played each other in four NFL Championship Games! The Lions won three of those championships. After 1970, they played less often because the Browns moved to a different conference. The Lions have won more games overall against the Browns.

Los Angeles Rams

The Lions have played the Rams more than any other team outside their division. They have played 89 times since 1937. In the 2023-24 playoffs, the Lions beat the Rams in a very exciting game. This was the first time they met in the playoffs since 1952. The Rams have won more games in this rivalry.

Radio and TV Coverage

Map of radio stations that broadcast Lions games.

You can listen to Lions games on the radio or watch them on TV.

Radio Broadcasts

The main radio station for the Lions is WXYT-FM. Dan Miller does the play-by-play. Lomas Brown gives color commentary, and T. J. Lang reports from the sidelines. The team moved their radio broadcasts back to WXYT-FM in 2021.

TV Broadcasts

Preseason Games

WJBK is the main TV station for Lions preseason games. The announcers for 2024 were Jason Ross Jr., Golden Tate, and Dannie Rogers.

Regular Season Games

Regular season games are usually shown on Fox. If the Lions play a team from the AFC in Detroit, the game might be on CBS. The special Thanksgiving Day game is always shown nationally. It switches between Fox and CBS each year.

TV Blackouts

Sometimes in the past, if not enough tickets were sold for a home game, the game would not be shown on local TV. This was called a "blackout." This happened a few times at Ford Field and often at their old stadium, the Pontiac Silverdome. 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

The Detroit Lions added cheerleaders to their team in 2016. This was the first time in over 40 years they had an official cheerleading squad! The cheerleaders perform during games and help out at community events.

In Spanish: Detroit Lions para niños