Detroit lost a legend today.

Joe Schmidt, who played for the Lions from 1953 to 1965, passed away at 92.

Easily the best defensive player the Detroit Lions have ever had, Joe Schmidt was a dominating Middle Linebacker who became the team's defensive captain in 1956 and continued in that role for nine more years.

Joe Schmidt's loyalty to Detroit was unwavering. He never left as a player, and his unequalled toughness was a defining characteristic. His role in the last two NFL titles that the Lions won is a testament to his dedication.  The 1973 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee was an eight-time First Team All-Pro and was named the league MVP by United Press.

He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

We at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to Joe Schmidt's fans, friends, and family.

2023: Pre-Season Rank: Unranked.  Peak Period: 2021-23*

Arguably the best Offensive Lineman under 25, Penei Sewell was a First Team All-Pro in 2023, and likely will be again in 2024.  If he is as good as we think, this could be a Hall of Famer.

*Sewell has only played three seasons.

2023: Pre-Season Rank: Unranked.  Peak Period: 2021-23*

Amon-Ra St. Brown has only been in the NFL for three years but has put forth an incredible run where he is the lead weapon of a potent Detroit Lions squad.  He was a First Team All-Pro last season and could be again in 2024.

*St. Brown has only played three seasons.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Detroit Lions.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Lions made it to the NFC Championship Final and have finally built a contender after decades of mediocrity.  That being said, this is one of the oldest teams in the NFL, and with their stars being so young, none of them broke into the Top 50.  Nevertheless, we always acknowledge that we took the previous season into account.

As always, we present our top five, which (obviously) saw no changes:

1. Barry Sanders
2. Joe Schmidt
3. Bobby Layne
4. Dutch Clark
5. Lem Barney

 

You can find the entire list here.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Once that is done, we will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives. As such, it is important that the Detroit Lions have announced that Calvin Johnson will be inducted into their Pride of the Lions.

Nicknamed “Megatron,” Johnson was the most dynamic wide receiver of his day, making impossible catches and making them look easy.

A Lion for the entirety of his career, Johnson was taken second overall in 2007 and would twice lead the NFL in Receiving Yards.   In only nine seasons, Johnson accumulated 11,619 Yards with 93 Touchdowns, with his last six campaigns yielding Pro Bowl Selection.  Johnson was also a three-time First Team All-Pro and was named to the 2010s All-Decade Team.

Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021 in his first year of eligibility. 

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Calvin Johnson for his impending honor.

Had the NFL officially tracked Sacks in the years leading up to 1982, Al “Bubba” Baker might have gained some Hall of Fame traction.

Baker began his professional career with the Detroit Lions and instantly became the heart of Detroit’s Silver Rush Defense.  The former Colorado State Ram led the league (unofficially) in Sacks as a rookie with 23.  He easily won the Defensive Rookie of the Year, was a First Team All-Pro, and was the scariest pass rusher in the league.  He dominated again in 1979 with 16 Sacks and had his second “unofficial” sack crown with 17.5 in 1980.   Yep, 56.5 in his first three years!

Baker remained a potent player, but he ne did not go to another Pro Bowl beyond his first three seasons.  He was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals following a contract dispute, and in his four years under the Arch, he recorded 37.5 Sacks, with three double-digit years.  Baker played four more years, mostly in a reserve capacity, with three years in Cleveland and one in Minnesota.

He retired with 131.0 Sacks, a colossal number that remains unofficial, but those are not disputed metrics.

Sometimes, you were born to do something, even if you grew up having never seen it.

Born and raised in Ghana, Ezekiel Ansah was an excellent student and natural athlete.  He received an academic scholarship from BYU, and tried out for the basketball team (which he did not make), but did earn a spot in track.  With his size, Ansah was persuaded to try out for football, and despite not even knowing how to put on shoulder pads, he made the team.  Three years later, he had impressed scouts so much that he was the Fifth Overall Pick in the 2013 Draft.

Taken by the Detroit Lions, Ansah became a starter as a rookie, and proved quickly he was a very good pass rusher.  Ansah made the Pro Bowl in 2015 off of a 14.5 Sack year, and he had another double-digit Sack year (12) in 2017.  He recorded 50.5 Sacks over his eight NFL seasons; six with Detroit, and one each in Seattle and San Francisco.  What a career for someone who never picked up a football until college!

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top 50 Detroit Lions.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following:

1. Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Lions again failed to make the post-season, but the second half saw a team on the rise, and it could bode well this upcoming season. Despite the promise, this is a young squad, and 2022 did not yield any changes in our Top 50. Despite this, we always aim for transparency, and want to show that 2022 was factored into this rank.

As always, we present our top five, which had no changes (obviously).

1. Barry Sanders

2. Joe Schmidt

3. Bobby Layne

4. Dutch Clark

5. Lem Barney

You can find the entire list here.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post-2021 revision of our top 50 Detroit Lions.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League. 

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Lions again failed to make the playoffs and their poor 2021 led to zero changes in our top 50, nevertheless, the year is now factored in to the rankings.

As always, we present our top five:

1. Barry Sanders

2. Joe Schmidt

3. Bobby Layne

4. Dutch Clark 

5. Lem Barney

You can find the entire list here.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

A dynamic offensive weapon for the Lions in the 1990s, Herman Moore would twice lead the National Football League in Receptions.  Moore may have been overshadowed by Barry Sanders, but Moore was a four-time Pro Bowl selection who had over 1,000 Yards in each of those campaigns.  He held all of the major franchise receiving records until they were broken by Calvin Johnson.

Known as “The Hatchet” (which is reason enough to rank him on any football list), the small framed Cornerback was one of the most punishing tacklers of his day and a major cog in the wheel of those three NFL Championship Teams in the 1950’s.  It is definitely worth noting that Jim David recorded an Interception in all three of those Lions NFL Championships.  Seriously, how impressive is that!

Out of the state of Idaho, Wayne Walker would spend all of his fifteen seasons in the NFL as a Detroit Lion and was a very rare dual threat as a Linebacker and Place Kicker.  Walker was a three-time Pro Bowl selection who would be named the team’s Defensive MVP in 1968.  Walker had 14 career Interceptions, and might be the most underrated player in Lions history.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present the first revision of our top 50 Detroit Lions of all-time.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League. 

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

This is the second revision of the Lions, and our first since last year.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Joe Schmidt

2. Barry Sanders 

3. Bobby Layne

4. Lem Barney

5. Doak Walker

The top five remains unaltered from our last rank and there are no new entries, however, minor changes were made.

We welcome your input and commentsand as always, we thank you for your support.

2023 Pre-Season Rank #100, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #112. 2021 Pre-Season Rank #106, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #117.  Peak Period: 2017-19/2022-23

In 2018, Jared Goff led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl appearance.  They did not win, and although he won two Pro Bowls, the Rams gave up on him and traded the Quarterback to the Detroit Lions.  In Stafford’s first season in L.A., he won a Super Bowl, making Goff look bad in the process, but years later, it is Goff and the Lions who are the superior team.

Goff brought Detroit to the NFC Championship Game last year and was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2022.  Goff passed for 59 TDs and 9,013 Yards in the previous two seasons, and he has the supporting cast to do even better over the next two years. 

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present the first revision of our top 50 Detroit Lions of all-time.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NFL.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories, which has altered the rankings considerably.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2018 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Joe Schmidt

2. Barry Sanders

3. Bobby Layne

4. Lem Barney

5. Doak Walker

We have used a different algorithm from our initial list, and this has resulted in Lions who have long since retired being shuffled despite not having added any accomplishments.  

We have since rectified that.

As always, we thank you for your support.

Terry Barr was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and he would play his college ball at the University of Michigan.  He would stay in state for his professional career, as the Lions chose him in the 3^rd Round of the 1957 Draft.  Used predominantly as a returner, he would help the Lions win the NFL Championship as a rookie and he would later have a greater role in the Detroit offense.  Barr was named to the Pro Bowl in both 1963 and 1964 where he reached the 1,000 Yard in Receiving.  Barr would lead the NFL in Touchdown Receptions and he would have 35 over his career, all of which were as a Lion.  On the defensive side of the ball he would help with five Interceptions.

A star at USC, Don Doll spent his first four seasons as a ball hawk for the Detroit Lions.  Doll had 26 picks over his Lions’ career and was chosen for the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons in the 1950s.  Doll would have 10 or more pick in the first two years of his career and would have 26 Interceptions as a member of the Detroit Lions.

Mel Farr would get out of the gates quickly as the star from UCLA who was chosen 7^th Overall by the Detroit Lions would be named to the Pro Bowl and was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.  He finished 5^th in Rushing Yards, but that would be the only time he was in the top ten in that.  He wasn’t done producing as he would have two more 900 Yards from Scrimmage seasons, the second of which coming in 1970 where he was named to his second Pro Bowl.  Farr played seven seasons, all with Detroit and he would accumulate 4,446 Yards from Scrimmage with 36 Touchdowns.

Mel Gray began his career in the USFL for two seasons, and after that league folded, he joined the New Orleans Saints, who had chosen him earlier in a supplemental draft of USFL players.  Gray would later join the Detroit Lions, and it was there where he would be named a four-time Pro Bowl Selection and was regarded as one of the best Return Specialists in the NFL.  Gray would accumulate 13,003 Return Yards, and was the league leader in that category in the first three seasons of the 1990s.  He would also be named a three-time First Team All-Pro.

Out of the University of Nebraska, Glenn Presnell first played for the semi-pro Ironton Yanks in 1929.  The Yanks were not part of the NFL but would have games against NFL teams where they would sometimes emerge as the victor.  Presnell would sing with the NFL's Portsmouth Spartans, where he would be a bona fide triple threat in terms of passing, running and kicking and would be an All-Pro in 1933.  Presnell would then join the Detroit Lions and was a key member of their 1935 Championship Team.