Barry Sanders is an American former football running back who played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushing touchdowns once, establishing himself as one of the most elusive runners in the history of the NFL with his quickness and agility, despite being only 5 ft 8 in tall and weighing 203 lbs. Sanders played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. As a junior in 1988, he compiled what is widely considered the greatest individual season by a running back in college football history, rushing for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns in 11 games. He won the Heisman Trophy and was unanimously recognized as an All-American.
Herman Joseph Moore is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 1991 NFL Draft, and also played for the New York Giants.
Robert Yale Lary Sr. was an American professional football player, businessman, and politician. He played for 11 seasons as a safety, punter and return specialist for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and was also selected for the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team.
Jack LeRoy Christiansen was an American professional football player who became a college and pro coach. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions as a safety and return specialist from 1951 to 1958. He helped lead the Lions to three NFL championships in 1952, 1953, and 1957 and was a first-team All-NFL player in six of his eight years in the league. He led the NFL in interceptions in 1953 and 1957 and in punt returns for touchdown in 1951, 1952, 1954, and 1956. His eight career punt returns for touchdowns was an NFL record until 1989 and remains the fourth best in league history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970.
Donald André Bly is an American football coach and former player who is cornerbacks coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a cornerback for 11 seasons in the NFL. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, earning All-American honors twice. Bly was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 1999 NFL draft, and spent four seasons with the Rams, earning a Super Bowl ring with them in Super Bowl XXXIV over the Tennessee Titans. He was selected to two Pro Bowls during his four-year tenure with the Detroit Lions, and also played for the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers.
Joseph Paul Schmidt is an American former professional football player and coach. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions for 13 years from 1953 to 1965. He won two NFL championships with the Lions, and, between 1954 and 1963, he played in ten consecutive Pro Bowl games and was selected each year as a first-team All-Pro player. He was also voted by his fellow NFL players as the NFL's most valuable defensive player in 1960 and 1963, named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.
Louis Creekmur was an American football offensive tackle who played for 10 years from 1950 to 1959 with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
Daniel Allen Campbell is an American football coach and a former tight end who has been the head coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) since 2021. He served as the assistant head coach and tight ends coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020 and also served as an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2010 to 2015, most recently as the interim head coach and tight ends coach. In the 2023 season, Campbell led the Lions to their first division title since 1993, their first playoff win since 1991, and their second ever NFC championship appearance.
Charles Christopher Spielman is an American former professional football player who is a special assistant to the owner and CEO for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes, twice earning All-American honors. He played professional football for the Detroit Lions in the NFL, where he was a three-time All-Pro. He also played for the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns, and coached for the Arena Football League (AFL)'s Columbus Destroyers. He was a broadcaster for Fox Sports and ESPN from 1999 to 2020.
Earl Harry "Dutch" Clark, sometimes also known as "the Flying Dutchman" and "the Old Master", was an American football player and coach, basketball player and coach, and university athletic director. He gained his greatest acclaim as a football player and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1951 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1963. He was also named in 1969 to the NFL 1930s All-Decade Team and was the first player to have his jersey retired by the Detroit Lions.
Luther John Elliss is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. Selected in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, Elliss played professionally for the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos of the NFL and was a two-time Pro Bowler. He worked as the defensive line coach at Idaho from 2017 until being named defensive tackles coach at Utah in 2022. He has four sons that also play football: Kaden, Christian, Noah, and Jonah.
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL draft. Ranking in the top 12 of all-time in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns, Stafford is currently fifth all-time in passing yards per game and is the fastest player in NFL history to have reached 40,000 career passing yards.
Richard Anthony Stanfel was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a guard, and his college and professional career spanned more than 50 years from 1948 to 1998. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2016. He was also named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team.
Calvin Johnson Jr., is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. Nicknamed "Megatron" after the Transformers character of the same name, he is regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as a junior, and was selected by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL draft.
Brandon Dennard Pettigrew is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He was selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, and spent his entire 8-year career with the team.
Kenneth Golladay is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He has previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants. He played college football at North Dakota and Northern Illinois and was selected by the Lions in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He led the NFL in receiving touchdowns with the Lions in 2019.
Frank Ragnow is an American football center for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Thomas James Hockenson is an American football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was awarded the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end in college football.
Penei Sewell is an American football offensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oregon, where he won the Outland and Morris trophies in 2019.
Aidan Joseph Bernardi Hutchinson is an American football defensive end for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Hutchinson was a unanimous All-American at the University of Michigan, and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2021. He was selected with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, and named to the All-Rookie Team in 2022. Hutchinson was voted to his first Pro Bowl in 2023.
