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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)
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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 |
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| 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 |
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| RG | Dick Stanfel*+ | 26 | 1 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 19th pick / 1951 |
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| 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 |
| 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 |