“Megatron” changed the culture of football in Detroit and made the team a must-watch in the NFL Package.  Calvin Johnson was not just an acrobatic receiver, he was an expert route runner who forced constant double teams and nightmares for defenses across the league.

Bobby Layne was an absolute beast at the University of Texas but it took a few years, a few stops, and engineering a trade to the Detroit Lions before he was allowed to truly showcase his skills.

A great 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.

Moore entered the Pride of the Lions in 2018.

An integral part of the Lions three NFL Championships in the 1950s, Offensive Lineman, Lou Creekmur was one of the most durable and versatile players in the history of the National Football League.  Creekmur was an eight-time Pro Bowler who was also a six-time First Team All-Pro.  He would enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.  Thirteen years later, Creekmur was chosen for the Pride of the Lions in the first class.

Considered one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL coaching history, Dick LeBeau was quite the player in his own right and was a three-time Pro Bowler in the 1960s.  Spending his entire playing career with the Detroit Lions, LeBeau would pick off 62 balls, which as of this writing puts him tenth all-time.  LeBeau was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, the same year he entered the Pride of the Lions.

What is it about the Detroit Lions and their star players retiring early?  Doak Walker did just that as after six seasons he called it a career, but really, and as he stated after he retired, what else had he left to prove?

“Never mind that shit.  Here comes Mongo!”

Alex Karras may not have been the best defensive player to ever suit up for the Detroit Lions, but there was no denying that he was the most popular and was in many ways iconic.

While the legendary Dick “Night Train” Lane did not arrive in Detroit until he was 32, the future Hall of Famer still had a lot left in the tank.  The man who set a sixty-year record for single-season Interceptions was known for a ferocious hitting style that would have had him permanently suspended today.  Lane may have debuted as a Lion late in his career, but he was a First Team All-Pro twice and a three-time Pro Bowler in the Motor City.  He would enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974, and was part of the first class of the Pride of the Lions in 2009.

With the exception of two years serving his country, the multi-tasking Yale Lary played for the Detroit Lions from 1952 to 1964 and was a large part of the success of the organization’s success in the 1950s.  The three-time NFL Champion was a five time First Team All-Pro who was not just a Safety, a Punter and a Returner, he was a star at all three positions.  

Coming out of Jackson State, Cornerback, Lem Barney made an immediate impact for the Lions winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and leading the NFL in Interceptions.  He wouldn’t duplicate that feat as opposing offensive coordinators knew to avoid him like the plague but he was still a seven-time Pro Bowler with 56 total picks and over 1,000 Interception Return Yards.  Barney was also a major asset on the return game.

Easily the best defensive player the Detroit Lions have ever had, Joe Schmidt was a dominating Middle Linebacker who would become the defensive captain of the team in 1956 and continue in that role for nine years.

It’s official.

As reported a month ago, Calvin Johnson made good on his claim that he was done with playing professional football and he has officially retired.

“Megatron” goes down as one of the most dynamic players in the history of the Detroit Lions and easily the best Wide Receiver in team history.  Johnson retires with 11,619 Receiving Yards and 83 Receiving Touchdowns with seven seasons exceeding the 1,000 Yard mark.  He was a six time Pro Bowl choice, a three time First Team All Pro and would twice lead all receivers in yards.

While Johnson was an elite player, his Hall of Fame ticket is not punched, as with the exception of Receiving Yards/Game (he is 2nd overall) he is not in the top twenty in any major category and with the explosion in the modern offense, he will drop quickly.  Johnson also has never won a playoff game, factors that could affect the voters.

Still, he is a Hall of Famer in our book, and we would like to wish Calvin Johnson the best in his post playing career.

Unless he changes his mind, we have a major retirement on our hands.

It was reported today that multiple sources have told ESPN that Calvin Johnson had informed the Detroit Lions and a close circle of family and friends that he will be retiring from the National Football League. 

Should this in fact be the case, the Wide Receiver known as “Megatron” has put up a stellar NFL career that includes the following:


3 First Team All Pro Selections

5 Pro Bowls

1 Receptions Title

2 Receiving Yards Title

731 Receptions

11,619 Receiving Yards

83 Receiving Touchdowns

15.9 Yards/Reception 


Calvin Johnson may not have the career numbers of some of the current former Wide Receivers who are chasing Canton, but he does have elite seasons, and was a game changer.  This makes him in our eyes a bona fide Hall of Fame contender, which he will become eligible for in 2021.

Should this be the end of Calvin Johnson’s career, we here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank “Megatron” for the memories and wish him the best in his post-playing career.

It was announced yesterday that Pro Football Hall of Fame Tight End, Charlie Sanders died yesterday at the age of 68. 

Sanders was a very popular figure with the Detroit Lions and would spend his entire playing career there.  The Tight End was initially drafted in the third round in 1968 and would go on to make seven Pro Bowls and was also chosen for the 1970’s All-Decade Team.  He would record nearly 5,000 receiving yards, an excellent amount for a Tight End in that era.

Sanders would go on to become a successful broadcaster for Detroit Lions broadcasts and later was an Assistant Coach.  Overall, Charlie Sanders would spend over four decades affiliated in some capacity with the Detroit Lions.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Charlie Sanders at this time. 

Sometimes news gets by us.  Thankfully, we were reminded by one of our bloggers, D.K., that a major figure in Pro Football Folklore passed away, and is worth a few words from us.

Last week, Dick Stanfel, a man who is ranked at #30 by us on our Notinhalloffame.com Football list passed away at the age of 87.  Stanfel was a two time NFL Champion (1952 & 1953) with the Detroit Lions and was a member of the 1950’s All-Decade Team.  The Offensive Guard would also be chosen for five Pro Bowls.

Following his playing career, Stanfel would enjoy a long tenure as an Offensive Line Coach, most notably a decade with the Chicago Bears, where he was a coach on the 1985 Bears Super Bowl winning team. 

Stanfel would twice be named as a Senior Nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but would not be selected. 

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Dick Stanfel at this time. 

It is alleged that Roger Brown was the first legitimate 300 pounder in the National Football League.  Nowadays, this is commonplace, but it was Brown who proved that a much larger man could be very much athletic.  It is also amazing that someone so big could be forgotten so quick.