There are many people responsible for the positive direction of the Detroit Lions. Head coach Dan Campbell has come in and laid the foundation for the team, but what about the owner, Sheila Ford Hamp?
Who Is the Detroit Lions’ Owner?
Hamp was born on Oct. 31, 1951, to William Clay Ford Sr. and Martha Firestone Ford. She is a descendant of both the Ford and Firestone companies. She is married to Steve Hamp, and the couple has three kids and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
In 1973, Hamp graduated from Yale, where she became a part of the first class that involved women. She became involved in the Lions’ management in 2014 as vice chairman of the team.
In 2015, Hamp was involved in the firing of Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew. Four years later, she was involved with the decision to keep head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn.
On June 23, 2020, Hamp became the principal owner of the Lions, taking over for her mother, Martha Ford. The transfer of power from Ford to Hamp was the first time in the history of the NFL that the ownership power went from one woman to another.
Her first major decision as the Lions’ owner was to fire Patricia on Nov. 28, 2020, after Detroit got off to a 4-7 start.
What Is Sheila Ford Hamp’s Net Worth?
Per Forbes, Hamp’s real-time net worth is $2.0 billion. Additionally, Hamp ranks 23rd in terms of the wealthiest of the NFL ownership groups.
With Hamp in the bottom 10 of net worth among owners in the league, the Lions are considered to be one of the lowest-valued franchises. According to Forbes, the Lions are valued at $3.6 billion, the second-lowest franchise valuation entering the 2023 season. Only the Cincinnati Bengals have a lower value at $3.5 billion.
History of Hamp Owning the Lions
While she hasn’t been in charge of the Lions for very long, Hamp’s decisions during her short stint have completely changed the direction of the program.
Her first big decision that she made was hiring Brad Holmes as the Lions’ general manager on Jan. 14, 2021. Holmes made his presence felt very soon, trading Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Goff and two first-round picks.
MORE: List of NFL Owners
After getting the general manager down, the next step for Hamp and the team was to get a head coach. Just six days after hiring Holmes, Detroit made Campbell the next HC of the Lions, and the team has completely taken off.
This past season, the Lions tied a team record with 12 wins and won their first playoff game since 1991. Prior to this season, that was the only other time Detroit had played in the NFC Championship Game.
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