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1956 Detroit Lions
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Record: 9-3-0, Finished 2nd in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 300 points (25.0/g), 2nd of 12 in the NFL.
Allowed 188 points (15.7/g), 3rd.
Differential of 112 points (9.3/g), 2nd.
Expected W-L: 9.0-3.0.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +6 (0.5/g), 3rd.
Simple Rating System: Total 8.7, Offense: 2.0, Defense: 6.7, SoS: -0.7, versus averages of 0.0.
Coached by
Buddy Parker
Training Camp: Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
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Starters
ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | ||||||
| K | Bobby Layne*+ | 30 | 8 | 12 | 12 of 15 field goals & 33 of 33 extra points | Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948 |
| FB | Leon Hart | 28 | 6 | 0 | 76 rushes for 348 yards, 5 td, & 14 catches for 116 yards and 1 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1950 |
| LH | Jim Doran | 29 | 5 | 0 | 0 rushes for 0 yards, 0 td, & 25 catches for 448 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 5th / 55th pick / 1951 |
| RH | Gene Gedman | 24 | 3 | 0 | 135 rushes for 479 yards, 7 td, & 15 catches for 142 yards and 1 td | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 25th pick / 1953 |
| LE | Dorne Dibble | 27 | 5 | 0 | 32 catches for 597 yards, 2 td, & 1 rush for 8 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 33rd pick / 1951 |
| LT | Lou Creekmur*+ | 29 | 6 | 0 | Philadelphia Eagles / 26th / 243rd pick / 1948 | |
| LG | Harley Sewell | 25 | 3 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1953 | |
| C | Charlie Ane* | 25 | 3 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 49th pick / 1953 | |
| RG | Jim Salsbury | 24 | 1 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1955 | |
| RT | Ollie Spencer | 25 | 3 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1953 | |
| RE | Dave Middleton | 23 | 1 | 0 | 39 catches for 606 yards, 5 td, & 3 rushes for 9 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1955 |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Darris McCord | 23 | 1 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1955 | |
| LDT | Ray Krouse | 29 | 5 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | New York Giants / 2nd / 25th pick / 1951 |
| RDT | Bob Miller | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 5th / 58th pick / 1952 |
| RDE | Gil Mains | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 20th / 237th pick / 1952 |
| LLB | Sonny Gandee | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 9th / 106th pick / 1952 |
| MLB | Joe Schmidt*+ | 24 | 3 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 7th / 85th pick / 1953 |
| RLB | Jim Martin | 32 | 6 | 0 | Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 26th pick / 1950 | |
| LDH | Jim David* | 29 | 4 | 0 | 7 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 22nd / 261st pick / 1952 |
| RDH | Carl Karilivacz | 26 | 3 | 0 | 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 23rd / 277th pick / 1953 |
| LS | Jack Christiansen*+ | 28 | 5 | 0 | 8 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 6th / 69th pick / 1951 |
| P | Yale Lary*+ | 26 | 4 | 0 | 42 punts for a 40.4 average, 0 blocked | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Bobby Layne*+ | 30 | 8 | 12 | 12 of 15 field goals & 33 of 33 extra points | Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948 |
| P | Yale Lary*+ | 26 | 4 | 0 | 42 punts for a 40.4 average, 0 blocked | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| P | Yale Lary*+ | 26 | 4 | 0 | 42 punts for a 40.4 average, 0 blocked | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| KR | Howard Cassady | 22 | Rook | 0 | 16 kick returns for a 23.9 average and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 3rd pick / 1956 |
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | AV | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Charlie Ane* | 25 | C | 12 | 0 | 260 | 6-2 | USC | 1/25/1931 | 3 | 12 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 49th pick / 1953 |
| 33 | Bill Bowman | 25 | 6 | 0 | 215 | 6-2 | William & Mary | 9/22/1931 | 2 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 37th pick / 1954 | |
| 67 | Stan Campbell | 26 | 7 | 0 | 226 | 6-0 | Iowa St. | 8/26/1930 | 4 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 18th / 213th pick / 1952 | |
| 40 | Howard Cassady | 22 | KR | 12 | 0 | 183 | 5-10 | Ohio St. | 3/2/1934 | Rook | 1 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 3rd pick / 1956 |
| 24 | Jack Christiansen*+ | 28 | LS | 12 | 0 | 205 | 6-1 | Colorado St. | 12/20/1928 | 5 | 16 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 69th pick / 1951 |
| 76 | Lou Creekmur*+ | 29 | LT | 12 | 0 | 246 | 6-4 | William & Mary | 1/22/1927 | 6 | 15 | Philadelphia Eagles / 26th / 243rd pick / 1948 |
| 68 | Gene Cronin | 23 | 12 | 0 | 229 | 6-2 | Pacific | 11/20/1933 | Rook | 5 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 74th pick / 1956 | |
| 25 | Jim David* | 29 | LDH | 12 | 0 | 178 | 5-11 | Colorado St. | 12/2/1927 | 4 | 14 | Detroit Lions / 22nd / 261st pick / 1952 |
| 87 | Dorne Dibble | 27 | LE | 12 | 0 | 195 | 6-2 | Michigan St. | 4/26/1929 | 5 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 33rd pick / 1951 |
| 83 | Jim Doran | 29 | LH | 11 | 0 | 201 | 6-2 | Buena Vista,Iowa St. | 8/11/1927 | 5 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 5th / 55th pick / 1951 |
| 85 | Sonny Gandee | 27 | LLB | 12 | 0 | 216 | 6-1 | Ohio St. | 2/27/1929 | 4 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 106th pick / 1952 |
| 26 | Gene Gedman | 24 | RH | 12 | 0 | 195 | 5-11 | Indiana | 1/9/1932 | 3 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 25th pick / 1953 |
| 12 | Harry Gilmer | 30 | 11 | 0 | 169 | 6-0 | Alabama | 4/14/1926 | 8 | 4 | Washington Redskins / 1st / 1st pick / 1948 | |
| 23 | Jug Girard | 29 | 10 | 0 | 176 | 5-11 | Wisconsin | 1/25/1927 | 8 | 4 | Green Bay Packers / 1st / 7th pick / 1948 | |
| 82 | Leon Hart | 28 | FB | 11 | 0 | 257 | 6-5 | Notre Dame | 11/2/1928 | 6 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1950 |
| 21 | Carl Karilivacz | 26 | RDH | 11 | 0 | 188 | 6-0 | Syracuse | 11/20/1930 | 3 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 23rd / 277th pick / 1953 |
| 70 | Ray Krouse | 29 | LDT | 12 | 0 | 263 | 6-3 | Maryland | 3/21/1927 | 5 | 8 | New York Giants / 2nd / 25th pick / 1951 |
| 28 | Yale Lary*+ | 26 | P | 12 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Texas A&M | 11/24/1930 | 4 | 16 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| 22 | Bobby Layne*+ | 30 | K | 12 | 12 | 201 | 6-1 | Texas | 12/19/1926 | 8 | 17 | Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948 |
| 86 | Bob W. Long | 22 | 12 | 0 | 232 | 6-3 | UCLA | 2/24/1934 | 1 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 2nd / 18th pick / 1955 | |
| 57 | Bob Lusk | 24 | 5 | 0 | 222 | 6-1 | William & Mary | 5/18/1932 | Rook | 1 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 62nd pick / 1956 | |
| 72 | Gil Mains | 27 | RDE | 8 | 0 | 243 | 6-2 | Murray St. | 12/17/1929 | 3 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 20th / 237th pick / 1952 |
| 47 | Jim Martin | 32 | RLB | 12 | 0 | 227 | 6-2 | Notre Dame | 4/8/1924 | 6 | 8 | Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 26th pick / 1950 |
| 78 | Darris McCord | 23 | LDE | 12 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Tennessee | 1/4/1933 | 1 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1955 |
| 42 | Don McIlhenny | 22 | 9 | 0 | 197 | 6-0 | SMU | 11/22/1934 | Rook | 4 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 27th pick / 1956 | |
| 84 | Dave Middleton | 23 | RE | 12 | 0 | 194 | 6-1 | Auburn | 11/23/1933 | 1 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1955 |
| 74 | Bob Miller | 27 | RDT | 12 | 0 | 242 | 6-3 | Virginia | 12/11/1929 | 4 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 5th / 58th pick / 1952 |
| 79 | Gerry Perry | 26 | 12 | 0 | 237 | 6-4 | Pepperdine,California | 7/17/1930 | 2 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams / 29th / 349th pick / 1952 | |
| 15 | Jerry Reichow | 22 | 8 | 0 | 217 | 6-2 | Iowa | 5/19/1934 | Rook | 1 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 38th pick / 1956 | |
| 60 | Jim Salsbury | 24 | RG | 11 | 0 | 233 | 6-1 | UCLA | 8/8/1932 | 1 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1955 |
| 56 | Joe Schmidt*+ | 24 | MLB | 12 | 0 | 220 | 6-1 | Pittsburgh | 1/19/1932 | 3 | 16 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 85th pick / 1953 |
| 66 | Harley Sewell | 25 | LG | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-1 | Texas | 4/18/1931 | 3 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1953 |
| 75 | Ollie Spencer | 25 | RT | 12 | 0 | 245 | 6-2 | Kansas | 4/17/1931 | 3 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1953 |
| 20 | Bill Stits | 25 | 12 | 0 | 194 | 6-4 | UCLA | 7/26/1931 | 2 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 44th pick / 1954 | |
| 30 | Tom Tracy | 22 | 4 | 0 | 205 | 5-9 | Tennessee | 9/7/1934 | Rook | 1 | Detroit Lions / 5th / 50th pick / 1956 | |
| Team Total | 25.9 | 12 | 216.5 | 6-1.3 | 3.2 |
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