Detroit Lions facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Detroit Lions

Current season


Logo	Wordmark

Uniforms

Basic info

Established

July 12, 1930; 95 years ago

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

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: 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

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.

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

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)
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

Famous Players

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

Bobby Layne

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.

No.	Player	Position	Tenure	Retired
Detroit Lions retired numbers
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

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.