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PL ,«J| L^P■., ■ V .,f - • V • .7 4 --4 . ,'-...- . .-■■-• ; -.*./*:•••.- .A /..-. .,S- . ; -S V - ■'*.;. ,, T-Jt-. , £ ■' ;- VX: v ■ax te ■ NFL*TO DAY CHIP LOVITT 7'M3 ft CREATIVE EDUCATION Eva Swan Hodge Library Denton, Texas 76208 Published by Creative Education 123 South Broad Street, Mankato, Minnesota 56001 Creative Education is an imprint of The Creative Company Designed by Rita Marshall Cover illustration by Rob Day Photos by: Allsport Photography, Associated Press, Bettmann Archive, Diane Johnson, Focus on Sports, Fotosport, and SportsChrome. Copyright © 1997 Creative Education. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lovitt, Chip. Detroit Lions / by Chip Lovitt. p. cm. — (NFL Today) Summary: Traces the history of the team from its beginnings through 1996. ISBN 0-88682-794-9 , 1. Detroit Lions (Football team)—History—Juvenile literature. [1. Detroit Lions (Football team) 2. Football—History.] I. Title. II. Series. GV956.D4L68 1996 96-15235 796.332'64'0977434—dc20 123456 T hey call Detroit “the Motor City” because it is the car cap¬ ital of the world. If it’s an American car, it’s a good bet that it was built in Detroit, home of the Big Three auto mak¬ ers—Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. Cars are very impor¬ tant to Detroit’s economy and to the economy of the entire state of Michigan. But Detroit is more than just an automotive center. It is also a major international port. Goods are shipped from Detroit through the Great Lakes and up the St. Lawrence Seaway. In short, Detroit is a major commercial hub of the midwestern United States. An all-time Lion great, Doak Walker. 5 Detroit is also home to a football franchise that has been a symbol of strength in the National Football League (NFL) since the team was founded over sixty years ago. From the begin¬ ning, the Lions have left their mark on football history. In 1934, George A. Richards, a Detroit radio tycoon and foot¬ ball enthusiast, bought the financially-ailing Portsmouth Spartans pro team and moved it to Detroit. Renamed the Lions, the team joined the NFL and got off to a roaring start in their very first season. They shut out their first seven opponents and Harry Ebding was won ten straight games. This exceptional performance placed * the club’s leading them second only to the undefeated Chicago Bears. receiver during their inaugural season The next season they finished first in the Western Division, with 257yards. then took on the powerful New York Giants for the league cham¬ pionship. As freezing rain turned the Detroit home field into a cold, muddy mess, the Lions mauled the Giants 26-7, win¬ ning their first NFL title. The Lions’ fortunes faded in the 1940s. But then, in 1950, the team acquired a new quarterback named Bobby Layne and a talented rookie ainning back, Doak Walker. The revamped Lions roster also included veteran end Leon Hart, a former Heisman Trophy winner, and a bruising two-way player who provided offensive and defensive muscle. Detroit was ready to dominate again. Layne change T he team finished last in 1946, 1947 and 1948, and next to last in 1949. With Layne, Walker and Hart, the Lions climbed to a 6-6 record in 1950. Detroit hired Buddy Parker, who was a member of the Lions’ 1935 championship team, as a new coach. 6 Billy Sims was Rookie of the Year in 1980 (page 7).