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1953 Detroit Lions

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Record: 10-2-0, Finished 1st in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary

1953 NFL Champions

Scored 271 points (22.6/g), 5th of 12 in the NFL.
 Allowed 205 points (17.1/g), 2nd.
 Differential of 66 points (5.5/g), 5th.
 Expected W-L: 7.9-4.1.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +11 (0.9/g), 2nd.

Coached by Buddy Parker (10-2-0)

1953 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
QB Bobby Layne* 27 5 11 125 for 273, 2,088 yards, 16 td, 21 int, & 87 rushes for 343 yards and 0 td

Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948

FB Ollie Cline 28 5 0 42 rushes for 169 yards, 0 td, & 10 catches for 126 yards and 1 td

Chicago Bears / 14th / 122nd pick / 1948

LH Doak Walker*+ 26 3 0 66 rushes for 337 yards, 2 td, & 30 catches for 502 yards and 3 td

New York Bulldogs / 1st / 3rd pick / 1949

RH Bob Hoernschemeyer 28 7 0 101 rushes for 482 yards, 7 td, & 23 catches for 282 yards and 2 td

New York Giants / 11th / 94th pick / 1947

RH Gene Gedman 21 Rook 0 83 rushes for 255 yards, 3 td, & 14 catches for 121 yards and 0 td

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 25th pick / 1953

LE Cloyce Box 30 4 0 16 catches for 403 yards, 2 td

Washington Redskins / 20th / 178th pick / 1948

LE Dorne Dibble 24 2 0 16 catches for 274 yards, 3 td

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 33rd pick / 1951

LT Charlie Ane 22 Rook 0 1 fumble recovered

Detroit Lions / 4th / 49th pick / 1953

LT Lou Creekmur*+ 26 3 0

Philadelphia Eagles / 26th / 243rd pick / 1948

LG Harley Sewell 22 Rook 0 3 fumbles recovered

Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1953

C Vince Banonis 32 11 0

Chicago Cardinals / 4th / 29th pick / 1942

RG Dick Stanfel*+ 26 1 0

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 19th pick / 1951

RT Ollie Spencer 22 Rook 0 1 fumble recovered

Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1953

RE Leon Hart 25 3 0 25 catches for 472 yards, 7 td, & 1 rush for 2 yards and 0 td

Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1950

 Defensive Starters
LDE Jim Cain 26 4 0 0 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered

Chicago Cardinals / 7th / 70th pick / 1949

LDT Thurman McGraw 26 3 0 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 27th pick / 1950

MG Les Bingaman*+ 27 5 0 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 15th pick / 1948

RDT John Prchlik 28 4 0

Boston Yanks / 30th / 277th pick / 1947

RDE Jim Doran 26 2 0 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Detroit Lions / 5th / 55th pick / 1951

LLB Joe Schmidt 21 Rook 0 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Detroit Lions / 7th / 85th pick / 1953

RLB LaVern Torgeson 24 2 0 5 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered

Detroit Lions / 5th / 58th pick / 1951

LDH Jim David 26 1 0 4 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Detroit Lions / 22nd / 261st pick / 1952

RDH Bob Smith 28 5 0 3 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Washington Redskins / 24th / 219th pick / 1947

LS Jack Christiansen*+ 25 2 0 12 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered

Detroit Lions / 6th / 69th pick / 1951

RS Yale Lary* 23 1 0 5 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952

 Special Teams Starters
K Doak Walker*+ 26 3 0 12 of 19 field goals & 27 of 29 extra points

New York Bulldogs / 1st / 3rd pick / 1949

P Bob Smith 28 5 0 40 punts for a 41.2 average, 0 blocked

Washington Redskins / 24th / 219th pick / 1947

PR Yale Lary* 23 1 0 13 punt returns for a 8.8 average and 1 td

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952

KR Jack Christiansen*+ 25 2 0 10 kick returns for a 18.3 average and 0 td

Detroit Lions / 6th / 69th pick / 1951

Roster

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
Charlie Ane 22 T-C 12 0 260 6-2 USC 1/25/1931 Rook

Detroit Lions / 4th / 49th pick / 1953

Vince Banonis 32 C-T-LB 12 0 230 6-1 Detroit Mercy 4/9/1921 11

Chicago Cardinals / 4th / 29th pick / 1942

Les Bingaman*+ 27 DG-G 12 0 272 6-3 Illinois 2/3/1926 5

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 15th pick / 1948

Cloyce Box 30 E-HB 12 0 220 6-4 Louisiana Tech,West Texas A&M 8/24/1923 4

Washington Redskins / 20th / 178th pick / 1948

Jim Cain 26 DE-E 12 0 202 6-1 Alabama 10/1/1927 4

Chicago Cardinals / 7th / 70th pick / 1949

Lew Carpenter 21 HB-FB 12 0 220 6-1 Arkansas 1/12/1932 Rook

Detroit Lions / 8th / 97th pick / 1953

Jack Christiansen*+ 25 DB 12 0 205 6-1 Colorado State 12/20/1928 2

Detroit Lions / 6th / 69th pick / 1951

Ollie Cline 28 FB 12 0 200 6-0 Ohio State 12/31/1925 5

Chicago Bears / 14th / 122nd pick / 1948

Lou Creekmur*+ 26 T-G-DG-DT 12 0 246 6-4 William & Mary 1/22/1927 3

Philadelphia Eagles / 26th / 243rd pick / 1948

Jim David 26 DB 12 0 178 5-11 Colorado State 12/2/1927 1

Detroit Lions / 22nd / 261st pick / 1952

Dorne Dibble 24 E-DB 12 0 195 6-2 Michigan State 4/26/1929 2

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 33rd pick / 1951

Jim Doran 26 E-DE 7 0 201 6-2 Buena Vista,Iowa State 8/11/1927 2

Detroit Lions / 5th / 55th pick / 1951

Bob Dove 32 DE-E 4 0 222 6-2 Notre Dame 2/21/1921 7

Washington Redskins / 5th / 40th pick / 1943

Tom Dublinski 23 QB 7 1 212 6-2 Utah 8/8/1930 1

Detroit Lions / 8th / 93rd pick / 1952

Blaine Earon 26 DE 6 0 195 6-1 Duke 1/15/1927 1

Detroit Lions / 19th / 226th pick / 1952

Sonny Gandee 24 LB-DE 8 0 216 6-1 Ohio State 2/27/1929 1

Detroit Lions / 9th / 106th pick / 1952

Gene Gedman 21 HB 12 0 195 5-11 Indiana 1/9/1932 Rook

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 25th pick / 1953

Jug Girard 26 E-HB-QB-DB 11 0 176 5-11 Wisconsin 1/25/1927 5

Green Bay Packers / 1st / 7th pick / 1948

Pat Harder 31 FB-LB 5 0 203 5-11 Wisconsin 5/6/1922 7

Chi/Pit Cards/Steelers / 1st / 2nd pick / 1944

Leon Hart 25 E-FB-DE 12 0 257 6-5 Notre Dame 11/2/1928 3

Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1950

Bob Hoernschemeyer 28 B 12 0 194 5-11 Indiana,Navy 9/24/1925 7

New York Giants / 11th / 94th pick / 1947

Carl Karilivacz 23 DB-HB 12 0 188 6-0 Syracuse 11/20/1930 Rook

Detroit Lions / 23rd / 277th pick / 1953

Yale Lary* 23 DB 11 0 185 5-11 Texas A&M 11/24/1930 1

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952

Bobby Layne* 27 QB 12 11 201 6-1 Texas 12/19/1926 5

Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948

Gil Mains 24 DT-DE 3 0 243 6-2 Murray State 12/17/1929 Rook

Detroit Lions / 20th / 237th pick / 1952

Jim Martin 29 G-LB-K 8 0 227 6-2 Notre Dame 4/8/1924 3

Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 26th pick / 1950

Thurman McGraw 26 DT-T 11 0 235 6-5 Colorado State 7/17/1927 3

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 27th pick / 1950

Bob Miller 24 DT-T 12 0 242 6-3 Virginia 12/11/1929 1

Detroit Lions / 5th / 58th pick / 1952

John Prchlik 28 DT-T 11 0 234 6-4 Yale 7/20/1925 4

Boston Yanks / 30th / 277th pick / 1947

Joe Schmidt 21 LB 12 0 220 6-1 Pittsburgh 1/19/1932 Rook

Detroit Lions / 7th / 85th pick / 1953

Harley Sewell 22 G-LB 12 0 230 6-1 Texas 4/18/1931 Rook

Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1953

Bob Smith 28 DB-HB-WB 12 0 191 6-1 Iowa,Tulsa 8/20/1925 5

Washington Redskins / 24th / 219th pick / 1947

Bob L. Smith 24 FB 3 0 205 6-0 Texas A&M 2/28/1929 Rook

Cleveland Browns / 4th / 41st pick / 1951

Ollie Spencer 22 T-G-C 12 0 245 6-2 Kansas 4/17/1931 Rook

Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1953

Dick Stanfel*+ 26 G 12 0 236 6-3 San Francisco 7/20/1927 1

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 19th pick / 1951

LaVern Torgeson 24 LB-C 11 0 215 6-0 Washington State 2/28/1929 2

Detroit Lions / 5th / 58th pick / 1951

Doak Walker*+ 26 HB-DB 12 0 173 5-11 SMU 1/1/1927 3

New York Bulldogs / 1st / 3rd pick / 1949

Team Total 25.6 12 215.4 6-1.4 2.7