Joseph Paul Schmidt was an American 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, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and chosen as a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.
Jason Hanson is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Washington State Cougars, he was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL draft with the 56th overall pick. Hanson holds the NFL record for the most seasons played with one team and also holds multiple kicking and scoring records. Due to his longevity and statistical success, even on many non-playoff teams, Hanson is often cited as one of the most-loved players in Detroit Lions franchise history.
Christopher James Cash is an American football coach and former defensive back. He is the defensive coordinator and safeties coach for Albany State University, positions he has held since 2022. Cash played professionally for the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons.
Peter Falconer Beathard is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the American Football League (AFL), National Football League (NFL), and World Football League (WFL). He is the younger brother of former NFL executive Bobby Beathard and is current NFL free agent quarterback C. J. Beathard’s great-uncle.
Etuini Haloti Ngata is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, earning consensus All-American honors. Ngata was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft, and was voted to the Pro Bowl five times. Ngata played for the Ravens for nine seasons before being traded to the Detroit Lions before the 2015 NFL season. Ngata was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles for one season in 2018 before retiring.
Earl R. McCullouch is a retired American football wide receiver. McCullouch was the world record holder for the 110 meter men's high hurdle sprint from July 1967 to July 1969. When attending the University of Southern California, McCullouch was a member of the USC Trojan Football teams and the USC Track & Field teams in 1967 and 1968. The USC Track 4×110 yard relay team, for which McCullouch ran the start leg, set the world record in 1967 that remains today, as the metric 4 × 100 m relay is now the commonly contested event.
Gregory Jennings Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football for the Western Michigan Broncos and was selected by Green Bay in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. Jennings was named to two Pro Bowls during his seven seasons with the Packers and was part of the team that won a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLV. In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins. He was inducted into Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2022.
Glyn Curt Milburn is an American former professional football player who was a running back and return specialist for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Stanford Cardinal, he was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 1993 NFL draft. He also played for the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and San Diego Chargers. He holds the NFL record for most all-purpose yards gained in a single game with 404 on December 10, 1995. He was also the Chicago Bears all-time leading kick returner with 4,596 yards. He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice in 1995 and 1999, and was named first-team All-Pro in 1999. After his playing career ended, he was the General Manager and the Director of Player Personnel for the Austin Wranglers in the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2008.
Eric Andrew Wright is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. He played college football for the USC Trojans and UNLV Rebels.
Calvin Johnson Jr. is an American former professional 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.
Daniel Nathan Lewis was an American football halfback, fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions (1958–1964), the Washington Redskins (1965), and the New York Giants (1966). He played college football at the University of Wisconsin.
Robert Edward Whitlow was an American professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Arizona Wildcats.
Raymond Edward George was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. George was the head football coach at Texas A&M University from 1951 to 1953, compiling a record of 12–14–4. He also served three stints as an assistant football coach at his alma mater, USC.
Ernest Wiley Caddel was an American football running back. He played college football for Glenn "Pop" Warner at Stanford University from 1930 to 1932 and later played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Portsmouth Spartans / Detroit Lions franchise (1933–1938). He helped lead the Detroit Lions to the NFL championship in 1935 and led the NFL in average yards gained per rushing carry for three consecutive years, from 1935 to 1937. He was also the first player in NFL history to finish among the top 10 players in the league in both rushing and receiving yards, accomplishing the feat in 1934 and again in 1936. He was known during his football career as the "Blond Antelope."
Dennis E. Franklin is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) in the 1975 NFL draft. Prior to playing for the NFL he played college football as a quarterback at the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1974. He was the starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines from 1972 to 1974. He was recruited by Michigan after starring for the Massillon High School football team in Ohio. Franklin is known as Michigan's first black quarterback.
Thomas John Lang is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Eastern Michigan Eagles and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft. Lang was a member of the Packers' Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and also played for the Detroit Lions.
Kevin Zeitler is an American professional football guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft and he has also played for the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and Baltimore Ravens.
Jared Thomas Goff is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he set Pac-12 Conference season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns, and was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2016 NFL draft. Goff had a breakout season in 2017 when he helped lead the Rams to their first playoff appearance since 2004. The following year, Goff led the Rams to Super Bowl LIII. He also received Pro Bowl honors in both seasons.
