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1944 Detroit Lions
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Record: 6-3-1, Finished 2nd in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 216 points (21.6/g), 4th of 11 in the NFL.
Allowed 151 points (15.1/g), 5th.
Differential of 65 points (6.5/g), 5th.
Expected W-L: 7.0-3.0.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +6 (0.6/g), 3rd.
Coached by Gus Dorais (6-3-1)
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1944 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| TB | Frankie Sinkwich+ | 24 | 1 | 9 | 150 rushes for 563 yards, 6 td, & 0 catches for 0 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1943 |
| FB | Bob Westfall | 25 | Rook | 10 | 65 rushes for 277 yards, 3 td, & 16 catches for 218 yards and 2 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 5th pick / 1942 |
| BB | Bill Callihan | 28 | 4 | 10 | 1 rush for 3 yards, 0 td, & 8 catches for 67 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 9th / 77th pick / 1939 |
| WB | Art Van Tone | 26 | 1 | 8 | 25 rushes for 30 yards, 1 td, & 9 catches for 237 yards and 4 td | |
| LE | Dave Diehl | 26 | 5 | 10 | 18 catches for 426 yards, 4 td | |
| LT | Stan Batinski | 27 | 3 | 8 | ||
| LT | Ed Opalewski | 25 | 1 | 5 | ||
| LG | John Greene | 24 | Rook | 5 | Detroit Lions / 5th / 35th pick / 1944 |
|
| C | Alex Wojciechowicz | 29 | 6 | 10 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1938 |
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| RG | Al Kaporch | 31 | 1 | 10 | ||
| RT | Luke Lindon | 29 | Rook | 10 | Cleveland Rams / 20th / 185th pick / 1940 |
|
| RE | Jack Matheson | 24 | 1 | 10 | 23 catches for 361 yards, 3 td | |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Frankie Sinkwich+ | 24 | 1 | 9 | 2 of 8 field goals & 24 of 30 extra points | Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1943 |
| P | Frankie Sinkwich+ | 24 | 1 | 9 | 45 punts for a 41.0 average, 0 blocked | Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1943 |
| PR | Frankie Sinkwich+ | 24 | 1 | 9 | 11 punt returns for a 13.5 average and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1943 |
| KR | Art Van Tone | 26 | 1 | 8 | 9 kick returns for a 25.2 average and 1 td |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Aiello | 23 | WB-BB | 4 | 0 | 165 | 5-6 | Youngstown State | 4/29/1921 | Rook | |
| Stan Batinski | 27 | G-T | 9 | 8 | 215 | 5-10 | Temple | 3/4/1917 | 3 | |
| Paul Blessing | 25 | E | 8 | 0 | 215 | 6-4 | Nebraska-Kearney | 1/6/1919 | Rook | |
| Harry Bolton | 25 | T | 1 | 0 | 280 | 6-3 | Oklahoma State | 3/24/1919 | Rook | |
| Bill Callihan | 28 | B-T | 10 | 10 | 217 | 6-3 | Nebraska | 5/15/1916 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 77th pick / 1939 |
| Wayne Clark | 26 | E | 8 | 0 | 210 | 6-3 | Utah | 4/13/1918 | Rook | |
| Joe D'Orazio | 30 | T | 5 | 1 | 220 | 5-11 | Ithaca | 10/5/1914 | Rook | |
| Fred Dawley | 23 | FB | 2 | 0 | 190 | 5-9 | Michigan | 3/11/1921 | Rook | |
| Dave Diehl | 26 | E | 10 | 10 | 195 | 6-0 | Michigan State | 9/30/1918 | 5 | |
| Ed Eiden | 23 | C | 1 | 0 | 205 | 6-0 | Scranton | 11/16/1921 | Rook | Philadelphia Eagles / 26th / 272nd pick / 1944 |
| Tony Furst | 26 | T | 2 | 0 | 217 | 6-1 | Dayton | 4/26/1918 | 4 | |
| John Greene | 24 | E-G-B | 9 | 5 | 210 | 6-0 | Michigan | 4/21/1920 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 5th / 35th pick / 1944 |
| Elmer Hackney | 28 | FB | 10 | 1 | 205 | 6-2 | Kansas State | 7/8/1916 | 4 | Philadelphia Eagles / 11th / 92nd pick / 1940 |
| Dale Hansen | 23 | T | 2 | 0 | 321 | 6-3 | Michigan State | 1/27/1921 | Rook | |
| Al Kaporch | 31 | T-G | 10 | 10 | 215 | 5-10 | St. Bonaventure | 10/6/1913 | 1 | |
| Bob Keene | 25 | B | 10 | 2 | 185 | 5-10 | Detroit Mercy | 8/26/1919 | 1 | |
| Tom Kennedy | 24 | T | 2 | 0 | 218 | 6-0 | Wayne State (MI) | 6/4/1920 | Rook | |
| Sonny Liles | 25 | G-LB | 9 | 0 | 188 | 5-8 | Oklahoma State | 8/9/1919 | 1 | |
| Luke Lindon | 29 | T | 10 | 10 | 243 | 5-10 | Kentucky | 6/23/1915 | Rook | Cleveland Rams / 20th / 185th pick / 1940 |
| Jackie Lowther | 22 | B | 8 | 0 | 165 | 5-8 | Detroit Mercy | 12/27/1922 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 8th / 72nd pick / 1945 |
| Jack Matheson | 24 | E-G | 10 | 10 | 221 | 6-2 | Western Michigan | 6/9/1920 | 1 | |
| Ed Opalewski | 25 | T | 9 | 5 | 230 | 6-3 | Eastern Michigan | 11/11/1919 | 1 | |
| Freeman Rexer | 26 | E | 6 | 0 | 211 | 6-1 | Tulane | 6/18/1918 | 1 | |
| Bill Rogers | 31 | T | 2 | 0 | 243 | 5-11 | Villanova | 6/24/1913 | 6 | |
| Ernie Rosteck | 22 | C | 9 | 0 | 218 | 6-1 | none | 5/12/1922 | 1 | |
| Frankie Sinkwich+ | 24 | B | 10 | 9 | 190 | 5-11 | Georgia | 10/10/1920 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1943 |
| George Sirochman | 26 | G | 9 | 1 | 215 | 6-2 | Duquesne | 3/23/1918 | 2 | |
| Buzz Trebotich | 24 | B | 10 | 0 | 208 | 5-10 | St. Mary's (CA) | 12/30/1920 | Rook | |
| Art Van Tone | 26 | WB-DB | 10 | 8 | 185 | 5-10 | Southern Miss | 9/30/1918 | 1 | |
| Bob Westfall | 25 | FB-LB-TB | 10 | 10 | 190 | 5-8 | Michigan | 5/5/1919 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 1st / 5th pick / 1942 |
| Alex Wojciechowicz | 29 | C-LB-E | 10 | 10 | 217 | 5-11 | Fordham | 8/12/1915 | 6 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1938 |
| Team Total | 25.6 | 10 | 213.1 | 5-11.7 | 1.4 |