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1961 Detroit Lions
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Record: 8-5-1, Finished 2nd in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 270 points (19.3/g), 11th of 14 in the NFL.
Allowed 258 points (18.4/g), 3rd.
Differential of 12 points (0.9/g), 7th.
Expected W-L: 7.4-6.6.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -1 (-0.1/g), 8th.
Simple Rating System: Total 3.3, Offense: -1.8, Defense: 5.1, SoS: 2.5, versus averages of 0.0.
Coached by
George Wilson (8-5-1)
Training Camp: Cranbrook Educational Community (Bloomfield Hills, 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 | ||||||
| QB | Jim Ninowski | 25 | 3 | 7 | 117 for 247, 1,921 yards, 7 td, 18 int, & 33 rushes for 238 yards and 5 td | Cleveland Browns / 4th / 49th pick / 1958 |
| QB | Earl Morrall | 27 | 5 | 5 | 69 for 150, 909 yards, 7 td, 9 int, & 20 rushes for 86 yards and 0 td | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 2nd pick / 1956 |
| FB | Nick Pietrosante* | 24 | 2 | 0 | 201 rushes for 841 yards, 5 td, & 26 catches for 315 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1959 |
| LH | Dan Lewis | 25 | 3 | 0 | 110 rushes for 451 yards, 4 td, & 8 catches for 118 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1958 |
| RH | Terry Barr | 26 | 4 | 0 | 6 rushes for -8 yards, 0 td, & 40 catches for 630 yards and 6 td | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1957 |
| SE | Gail Cogdill | 24 | 1 | 0 | 45 catches for 956 yards, 6 td | Detroit Lions / 6th / 63rd pick / 1960 |
| TE | Jim Gibbons* | 25 | 3 | 0 | 45 catches for 566 yards, 1 td | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 61st pick / 1958 |
| LT | John Gonzaga | 28 | 5 | 0 | ||
| LG | Harley Sewell | 30 | 8 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1953 |
| C | Bob Scholtz | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 27th pick / 1960 |
| RG | John Gordy | 26 | 4 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1957 | |
| RT | Dan LaRose | 22 | Rook | 0 | Boston Patriots / 3rd / 18th pick / 1961 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1961 |
|
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Darris McCord | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1955 |
| LDT | Alex Karras*+ | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 1st / 10th pick / 1958 |
| RDT | Roger Brown | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 interception, 3 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 4th / 42nd pick / 1960 |
| RDE | Bill Glass | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1957 |
| LLB | Carl Brettschneider | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | |
| MLB | Joe Schmidt*+ | 29 | 8 | 0 | 4 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 7th / 85th pick / 1953 |
| RLB | Wayne H. Walker | 25 | 3 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1958 |
| LCB | Night Train Lane*+ | 34 | 9 | 0 | 6 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | |
| RCB | Bruce Maher | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 15th / 173rd pick / 1959 |
| LS | Gary Lowe | 27 | 5 | 0 | 5 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Washington Redskins / 5th / 59th pick / 1956 |
| RS | Yale Lary* | 31 | 9 | 0 | 6 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Jim Martin* | 37 | 11 | 0 | 15 of 30 field goals & 25 of 26 extra points | Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 26th pick / 1950 |
| P | Yale Lary* | 31 | 9 | 0 | 52 punts for a 48.4 average, 0 blocked | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| PR | Howard Cassady | 27 | 5 | 0 | 16 punt returns for a 9.9 average and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 3rd pick / 1956 |
| KR | Jim Steffen | 25 | 2 | 0 | 19 kick returns for a 22.9 average and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 13th / 149th pick / 1959 |
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Terry Barr | 26 | HB-DB-FL | 14 | 0 | 189 | 6-0 | Michigan | 8/10/1935 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1957 |
| 57 | Carl Brettschneider | 30 | LB | 12 | 0 | 223 | 6-1 | Iowa St. | 12/2/1931 | 5 | |
| 76 | Roger Brown | 24 | DT | 14 | 0 | 300 | 6-5 | Md-Eastern Shore | 5/1/1937 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 42nd pick / 1960 |
| 40 | Howard Cassady | 27 | HB-SE-FL | 14 | 0 | 183 | 5-10 | Ohio St. | 3/2/1934 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 3rd pick / 1956 |
| 89 | Gail Cogdill | 24 | SE-WR | 14 | 0 | 200 | 6-3 | Washington St. | 4/7/1937 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 63rd pick / 1960 |
| 87 | Glenn Davis | 27 | WR | 8 | 0 | 180 | 6-0 | Ohio St. | 9/12/1934 | 1 | |
| 80 | Jim Gibbons* | 25 | E-TE | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | Iowa | 9/26/1936 | 3 | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 61st pick / 1958 |
| 53 | Bill Glass | 26 | DE-C-T | 14 | 0 | 252 | 6-5 | Baylor | 8/16/1935 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1957 |
| 79 | John Gonzaga | 28 | T-G-DE-DT | 13 | 0 | 247 | 6-3 | none | 3/6/1933 | 5 | |
| 75 | John Gordy | 26 | G-T | 14 | 0 | 248 | 6-3 | Tennessee | 6/17/1935 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1957 |
| 71 | Alex Karras*+ | 26 | DT | 14 | 0 | 248 | 6-2 | Iowa | 7/15/1935 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 10th pick / 1958 |
| 81 | Night Train Lane*+ | 34 | DB-E | 12 | 0 | 194 | 6-1 | West. Nebraska CC-Scottsbluff | 4/16/1927 | 9 | |
| 77 | Dan LaRose | 22 | T-DE-G | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-5 | Missouri | 2/8/1939 | Rook | Boston Patriots / 3rd / 18th pick / 1961 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1961 |
| 28 | Yale Lary* | 31 | DB | 14 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Texas A&M | 11/24/1930 | 9 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| 44 | Dick LeBeau | 24 | DB | 14 | 0 | 185 | 6-1 | Ohio St. | 9/9/1937 | 2 | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 58th pick / 1959 |
| 45 | Dan Lewis | 25 | HB-FB | 13 | 0 | 199 | 6-1 | Wisconsin | 2/14/1936 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1958 |
| 43 | Gary Lowe | 27 | DB-HB | 14 | 0 | 196 | 5-11 | Michigan St. | 5/4/1934 | 5 | Washington Redskins / 5th / 59th pick / 1956 |
| 21 | Bruce Maher | 24 | DB | 12 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | Detroit Mercy | 7/25/1937 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 15th / 173rd pick / 1959 |
| 72 | Gil Mains | 32 | DT-DE | 3 | 0 | 243 | 6-2 | Murray St. | 12/17/1929 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 20th / 237th pick / 1952 |
| 47 | Jim Martin* | 37 | G-LB-K | 13 | 0 | 227 | 6-2 | Notre Dame | 4/8/1924 | 11 | Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 26th pick / 1950 |
| 70 | Willie McClung | 31 | T-DT | 3 | 0 | 250 | 6-2 | Florida A&M | 5/9/1930 | 6 | |
| 78 | Darris McCord | 28 | DE-DT-T | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Tennessee | 1/4/1933 | 6 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1955 |
| 54 | Max Messner | 23 | LB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-3 | Cincinnati | 10/13/1938 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 99th pick / 1960 |
| 67 | Dick Mills | 22 | G | 14 | 0 | 240 | 6-3 | Pittsburgh | 3/6/1939 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1961 Dallas Texans / 9th / 70th pick / 1961 |
| 14 | Earl Morrall | 27 | QB | 13 | 5 | 205 | 6-1 | Michigan St. | 5/17/1934 | 5 | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 2nd pick / 1956 |
| 15 | Jim Ninowski | 25 | QB | 13 | 7 | 206 | 6-1 | Michigan St. | 3/26/1936 | 3 | Cleveland Browns / 4th / 49th pick / 1958 |
| 0 | Johnny Olszewski | 31 | FB-HB | 14 | 0 | 200 | 5-11 | California | 12/21/1930 | 8 | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 4th pick / 1953 |
| 33 | Nick Pietrosante* | 24 | FB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-2 | Notre Dame | 9/10/1937 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1959 |
| 56 | Joe Schmidt*+ | 29 | LB | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-1 | Pittsburgh | 1/19/1932 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 85th pick / 1953 |
| 50 | Bob Scholtz | 24 | C-G-T | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Notre Dame | 12/25/1937 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 27th pick / 1960 |
| 66 | Harley Sewell | 30 | G-LB | 14 | 0 | 230 | 6-1 | Texas | 4/18/1931 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1953 |
| 73 | Ollie Spencer | 30 | T-G-C | 13 | 0 | 245 | 6-2 | Kansas | 4/17/1931 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1953 |
| 20 | Jim Steffen | 25 | DB | 8 | 0 | 195 | 6-0 | Occidental,UCLA | 5/1/1936 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 13th / 149th pick / 1959 |
| 25 | Pat Studstill | 23 | FL-HB-WR-P | 14 | 0 | 180 | 6-0 | Houston | 6/4/1938 | Rook | |
| 55 | Wayne H. Walker | 25 | LB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-2 | Idaho | 9/30/1936 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1958 |
| 74 | Paul Ward | 24 | DT-G | 8 | 0 | 247 | 6-3 | Whitworth | 1/30/1937 | Rook | |
| 34 | Ken Webb | 26 | HB-FB | 11 | 0 | 207 | 5-11 | Presbyterian | 8/15/1935 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 14th / 169th pick / 1958 |
| 61 | Bob Whitlow | 25 | C | 6 | 0 | 236 | 6-2 | Indiana,Arizona | 2/15/1936 | 1 | |
| 88 | Sam Williams | 30 | DE-E-LB | 12 | 0 | 235 | 6-5 | Michigan St. | 3/9/1931 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 24th / 288th pick / 1956 |
| Team Total | 26.8 | 14 | 221.3 | 6-1.7 | 3.8 |