The player with the longest tenure with a single franchise, Jason Hanson spent 21 seasons with the Detroit Lions, scoring an all-time record 2,150 points, which included two Pro Bowl and an All-Pro selection.
The orchestrator behind three Championship teams in Detroit, Bobby Layne's best attribute was his penchant for 2-minute drills and late-game heroics. It led to the famous 80-yard game-winning touchdown in the 1953 Championship Game, and paved the way for five Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections. In 1967, Layne was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For 11 years, Lomas Brown was the man in the middle for Detroit. He was critical to the team's four playoff appearances in the 1990s and his blocking paved the way for the brilliance of Barry Sanders to come out in full display. A six-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro selection, his most iconic moment might have come against the Cowboys when he cleared a path for Sanders to take it to the house for 38 yards.
Chris Spielman led the team in tackles every year except 1990 when he was injured, as he amassed 1,138 total tackles in his career, most in Lions history. He also holds the single-season record with 195 with a four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro selections adorning his resume.
The Defensive Rookie of the Year, Lem Barney came out of the gates rolling, leading the league in interceptions and pick-sixes in his rookie year. He earned seven Pro Bowl and two first-team All-Pro selections in his 10-year run with the Lions, leading to a berth in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Before Calvin Johnson, Herman Moore held the all-time Lions record for receiving yards and touchdowns with 9,174 and 62 touchdowns. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he was one of the most potent offensive weapons to wear a Lions jersey.
One of the greatest names of his generation, Alex Karras was a menace against both the pass and the rush. Unofficially, he has totaled 100 sacks, a testament to his dominance. During his two stints with the team, he earrned four Pro Bowl and an astounding nine All-Pro selections. In 2020, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He might not have the hardware to show for it, but Matthew Stafford is truly one of the best quarterbacks in Detroit Lions franchise history. He led the team to its first appearance in 12 years in 2011 and set the all-tiime NFL record with eight game-winning drives in 2016.
Eight consecutive 100 yard games, the all-time single-season receiving record in 2012 with 1,964, Calvin Johnson was a physical anomaly on the field. During that historic 2012 season, he averaged 120 yards per game, the most all-time in the Super Bowl era. For his career, he totaled 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns, earning five Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections in the process.
An MVP and two Offensive Player of the Year awards paved the way for 10 Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections for Barry Sanders, one for each season of his career. One of the most illustrious RBs of all-time, Sanders is second all-time in rushing yards per game at 99.8. He is still fourth all-time in rushing yards, 10th in rushing TDs, and 19th in total TDs, perfectly showcasing the versatility he offered as a matchup nightmare. In 2004, he earned his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
