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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.
Coached by Buddy Parker (9-3-0)
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1956 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*+ | 30 | 8 | 12 | 129 for 244, 1,909 yards, 9 td, 17 int, & 46 rushes for 169 yards and 5 td | Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948 |
| QB | Harry Gilmer | 30 | 8 | 0 | 27 for 46, 303 yards, 4 td, 3 int, & 8 rushes for 19 yards and 0 td | Washington Redskins / 1st / 1st 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 |
| LH | Jug Girard | 29 | 8 | 0 | 17 rushes for 67 yards, 0 td, & 3 catches for 33 yards and 0 td | Green Bay Packers / 1st / 7th pick / 1948 |
| 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 |
| RH | Don McIlhenny | 22 | Rook | 0 | 87 rushes for 372 yards, 3 td, & 8 catches for 70 yards and 2 td | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 27th pick / 1956 |
| 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 |
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| LG | Harley Sewell | 25 | 3 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1953 |
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| C | Charlie Ane* | 25 | 3 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 49th pick / 1953 |
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| RG | Jim Salsbury | 24 | 1 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1955 |
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| RT | Ollie Spencer | 25 | 3 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1953 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
| RDE | Gene Cronin | 23 | Rook | 0 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 74th pick / 1956 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
| RDH | Bill Stits | 25 | 2 | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 4th / 44th pick / 1954 |
| LS | Jack Christiansen*+ | 28 | 5 | 0 | 8 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 6th / 69th pick / 1951 |
| RS | Yale Lary*+ | 26 | 4 | 0 | 8 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | 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 |
| PR | Yale Lary*+ | 26 | 4 | 0 | 22 punt returns for a 3.2 average and 0 td | 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 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Ane* | 25 | T-C | 12 | 0 | 260 | 6-2 | USC | 1/25/1931 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 49th pick / 1953 |
| Bill Bowman | 25 | FB | 6 | 0 | 215 | 6-2 | William & Mary | 9/22/1931 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 37th pick / 1954 |
| Stan Campbell | 26 | G | 7 | 0 | 226 | 6-0 | Iowa State | 8/26/1930 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 18th / 213th pick / 1952 |
| Howard Cassady | 22 | HB-SE-FL | 12 | 0 | 183 | 5-10 | Ohio State | 3/2/1934 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 1st / 3rd pick / 1956 |
| Jack Christiansen*+ | 28 | DB | 12 | 0 | 205 | 6-1 | Colorado State | 12/20/1928 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 69th pick / 1951 |
| Lou Creekmur*+ | 29 | T-G-DG-DT | 12 | 0 | 246 | 6-4 | William & Mary | 1/22/1927 | 6 | Philadelphia Eagles / 26th / 243rd pick / 1948 |
| Gene Cronin | 23 | DE-LB-G | 12 | 0 | 229 | 6-2 | Pacific | 11/20/1933 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 7th / 74th pick / 1956 |
| Jim David* | 29 | DB | 12 | 0 | 178 | 5-11 | Colorado State | 12/2/1927 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 22nd / 261st pick / 1952 |
| Dorne Dibble | 27 | E-DB | 12 | 0 | 195 | 6-2 | Michigan State | 4/26/1929 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 33rd pick / 1951 |
| Jim Doran | 29 | E-DE | 11 | 0 | 201 | 6-2 | Buena Vista,Iowa State | 8/11/1927 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 5th / 55th pick / 1951 |
| Sonny Gandee | 27 | LB-DE | 12 | 0 | 216 | 6-1 | Ohio State | 2/27/1929 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 106th pick / 1952 |
| Gene Gedman | 24 | HB | 12 | 0 | 195 | 5-11 | Indiana | 1/9/1932 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 25th pick / 1953 |
| Harry Gilmer | 30 | QB-HB | 11 | 0 | 169 | 6-0 | Alabama | 4/14/1926 | 8 | Washington Redskins / 1st / 1st pick / 1948 |
| Jug Girard | 29 | E-HB-QB-DB | 10 | 0 | 176 | 5-11 | Wisconsin | 1/25/1927 | 8 | Green Bay Packers / 1st / 7th pick / 1948 |
| Leon Hart | 28 | E-FB-DE | 11 | 0 | 257 | 6-5 | Notre Dame | 11/2/1928 | 6 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 1st pick / 1950 |
| Carl Karilivacz | 26 | DB-HB | 11 | 0 | 188 | 6-0 | Syracuse | 11/20/1930 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 23rd / 277th pick / 1953 |
| Ray Krouse | 29 | DT-DE-T | 12 | 0 | 263 | 6-3 | Maryland | 3/21/1927 | 5 | New York Giants / 2nd / 25th pick / 1951 |
| Yale Lary*+ | 26 | DB | 12 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Texas A&M | 11/24/1930 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| Bobby Layne*+ | 30 | QB | 12 | 12 | 201 | 6-1 | Texas | 12/19/1926 | 8 | Chicago Bears / 1st / 3rd pick / 1948 |
| Bob W. Long | 22 | LB | 12 | 0 | 232 | 6-3 | UCLA | 2/24/1934 | 1 | Los Angeles Rams / 2nd / 18th pick / 1955 |
| Bob Lusk | 24 | C | 5 | 0 | 222 | 6-1 | William & Mary | 5/18/1932 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 6th / 62nd pick / 1956 |
| Gil Mains | 27 | DT-DE | 8 | 0 | 243 | 6-2 | Murray State | 12/17/1929 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 20th / 237th pick / 1952 |
| Jim Martin | 32 | G-LB-K | 12 | 0 | 227 | 6-2 | Notre Dame | 4/8/1924 | 6 | Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 26th pick / 1950 |
| Darris McCord | 23 | DE-DT-T | 12 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Tennessee | 1/4/1933 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1955 |
| Don McIlhenny | 22 | HB | 9 | 0 | 197 | 6-0 | SMU | 11/22/1934 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 27th pick / 1956 |
| Dave Middleton | 23 | E-HB-FL | 12 | 0 | 194 | 6-1 | Auburn | 11/23/1933 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1955 |
| Bob Miller | 27 | DT-T | 12 | 0 | 242 | 6-3 | Virginia | 12/11/1929 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 5th / 58th pick / 1952 |
| Gerry Perry | 26 | T-DT-DE-G | 12 | 0 | 237 | 6-4 | California,Pepperdine | 7/17/1930 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 29th / 349th pick / 1952 |
| Jerry Reichow | 22 | E-QB | 8 | 0 | 217 | 6-2 | Iowa | 5/19/1934 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 4th / 38th pick / 1956 |
| Jim Salsbury | 24 | G-T | 11 | 0 | 233 | 6-1 | UCLA | 8/8/1932 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1955 |
| Joe Schmidt*+ | 24 | LB | 12 | 0 | 220 | 6-1 | Pittsburgh | 1/19/1932 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 85th pick / 1953 |
| Harley Sewell | 25 | G-LB | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-1 | Texas | 4/18/1931 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1953 |
| Ollie Spencer | 25 | T-G-C | 12 | 0 | 245 | 6-2 | Kansas | 4/17/1931 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1953 |
| Bill Stits | 25 | DB-HB | 12 | 0 | 194 | 6-4 | UCLA | 7/26/1931 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 44th pick / 1954 |
| Tom Tracy | 22 | HB-FB | 4 | 0 | 205 | 5-9 | Tennessee | 9/7/1934 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 5th / 50th pick / 1956 |
| Team Total | 25.9 | 12 | 216.5 | 6-1.3 | 3.2 |