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1963 Detroit Lions
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Record: 5-8-1, Finished 4th in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 326 points (23.3/g), 5th of 14 in the NFL.
Allowed 265 points (18.9/g), 4th.
Differential of 61 points (4.4/g), 5th.
Expected W-L: 8.7-5.3.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -5 (-0.4/g), 9th.
Coached by George Wilson (5-8-1)
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1963 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 | Earl Morrall | 29 | 7 | 11 | 174 for 328, 2,621 yards, 24 td, 14 int, & 26 rushes for 105 yards and 1 td | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 2nd pick / 1956 |
| FB | Dan Lewis | 27 | 5 | 0 | 133 rushes for 528 yards, 2 td, & 15 catches for 115 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1958 |
| LH | Tom Watkins | 26 | 2 | 0 | 97 rushes for 423 yards, 2 td, & 16 catches for 168 yards and 1 td | Oakland Raiders / 8th / 57th pick / 1961 |
| RH | Terry Barr* | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 rush for 9 yards, 0 td, & 66 catches for 1,086 yards and 13 td | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1957 |
| SE | Gail Cogdill* | 26 | 3 | 0 | 48 catches for 945 yards, 10 td | Detroit Lions / 6th / 63rd pick / 1960 |
| TE | Jim Gibbons | 27 | 5 | 0 | 32 catches for 412 yards, 1 td | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 61st pick / 1958 |
| LT | Daryl Sanders | 22 | Rook | 14 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1963 |
|
| LG | John Gonzaga | 30 | 7 | 0 | ||
| C | Bob Whitlow | 27 | 3 | 14 | ||
| RG | John Gordy* | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1957 |
| RT | Lucien Reeberg | 21 | Rook | 0 | 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 19th / 264th pick / 1963 |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Darris McCord | 30 | 8 | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1955 |
| LDT | Floyd Peters | 27 | 4 | 0 | Baltimore Colts / 8th / 93rd pick / 1958 |
|
| RDT | Roger Brown*+ | 26 | 3 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 4th / 42nd pick / 1960 |
| RDE | Sam Williams | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Los Angeles Rams / 24th / 288th pick / 1956 |
| LLB | Max Messner | 25 | 3 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 99th pick / 1960 |
|
| MLB | Dennis Gaubatz | 23 | Rook | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 8th / 111th pick / 1963 |
| RLB | Wayne H. Walker* | 27 | 5 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1958 |
| LCB | Night Train Lane | 36 | 11 | 0 | 5 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | |
| RCB | Dick LeBeau | 26 | 4 | 0 | 5 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 58th pick / 1959 |
| LS | Bruce Maher | 26 | 3 | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 15th / 173rd pick / 1959 |
| RS | Yale Lary | 33 | 11 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Wayne H. Walker* | 27 | 5 | 0 | 9 of 22 field goals & 29 of 29 extra points | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1958 |
| P | Yale Lary | 33 | 11 | 0 | 35 punts for a 48.9 average, 0 blocked | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| PR | Tom Watkins | 26 | 2 | 0 | 32 punt returns for a 12.5 average and 1 td | Oakland Raiders / 8th / 57th pick / 1961 |
| KR | Tom Watkins | 26 | 2 | 0 | 21 kick returns for a 21.3 average and 0 td | Oakland Raiders / 8th / 57th pick / 1961 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Barr* | 28 | HB-DB-FL | 14 | 0 | 189 | 6-0 | Michigan | 8/10/1935 | 6 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1957 |
| Carl Brettschneider | 32 | LB | 5 | 0 | 223 | 6-1 | Iowa State | 12/2/1931 | 7 | |
| Roger Brown*+ | 26 | DT | 14 | 0 | 300 | 6-5 | Md-Eastern Shore | 5/1/1937 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 42nd pick / 1960 |
| Mike Bundra | 24 | DT | 14 | 0 | 255 | 6-3 | USC | 6/24/1939 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 80th pick / 1962 |
| Howard Cassady | 29 | HB-SE-FL | 2 | 0 | 183 | 5-10 | Ohio State | 3/2/1934 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 3rd pick / 1956 |
| Ernie Clark | 26 | LB | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-1 | Michigan State | 8/11/1937 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 13th / 180th pick / 1963 |
| Gail Cogdill* | 26 | SE-WR | 14 | 0 | 200 | 6-3 | Washington State | 4/7/1937 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 63rd pick / 1960 |
| Dick Compton | 23 | SE-B | 13 | 0 | 190 | 6-2 | McMurry | 4/16/1940 | 1 | |
| Larry Ferguson | 23 | HB | 7 | 0 | 195 | 5-10 | Iowa | 3/19/1940 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 4th / 52nd pick / 1962 |
| Dennis Gaubatz | 23 | LB | 14 | 0 | 232 | 6-2 | LSU | 2/11/1940 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 8th / 111th pick / 1963 |
| Jim Gibbons | 27 | E-TE | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | Iowa | 9/26/1936 | 5 | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 61st pick / 1958 |
| John Gonzaga | 30 | T-G-DE-DT | 14 | 0 | 247 | 6-3 | none | 3/6/1933 | 7 | |
| John Gordy* | 28 | G-T | 14 | 0 | 248 | 6-3 | Tennessee | 6/17/1935 | 6 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1957 |
| Al Greer | 23 | E | 1 | 0 | 190 | 6-4 | Jackson State | 4/15/1940 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 18th / 251st pick / 1963 |
| Tom Hall | 23 | WR-DB | 14 | 0 | 195 | 6-1 | Minnesota | 4/3/1940 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 94th pick / 1962 |
| Night Train Lane | 36 | DB-E | 14 | 0 | 194 | 6-1 | Western Nebraska Community College-Scottsbluff | 4/16/1927 | 11 | |
| Dan LaRose | 24 | T-DE-G | 9 | 0 | 250 | 6-5 | Missouri | 2/8/1939 | 2 | Boston Patriots / 3rd / 18th pick / 1961 |
| Yale Lary | 33 | DB | 10 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Texas A&M | 11/24/1930 | 11 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 34th pick / 1952 |
| Dick LeBeau | 26 | DB | 14 | 0 | 185 | 6-1 | Ohio State | 9/9/1937 | 4 | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 58th pick / 1959 |
| Monte Lee | 25 | LB | 8 | 0 | 225 | 6-4 | Texas | 7/11/1938 | 2 | Houston Oilers / 5th / 40th pick / 1961 |
| Dan Lewis | 27 | HB-FB | 14 | 0 | 199 | 6-1 | Wisconsin | 2/14/1936 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 73rd pick / 1958 |
| Gary Lowe | 29 | DB-HB | 3 | 0 | 196 | 5-11 | Michigan State | 5/4/1934 | 7 | Washington Redskins / 5th / 59th pick / 1956 |
| Bruce Maher | 26 | DB | 14 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | Detroit Mercy | 7/25/1937 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 15th / 173rd pick / 1959 |
| Ollie Matson | 33 | RB-FL | 8 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | San Francisco | 5/1/1930 | 11 | Chicago Cardinals / 1st / 3rd pick / 1952 |
| Darris McCord | 30 | DE-DT-T | 13 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Tennessee | 1/4/1933 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 36th pick / 1955 |
| Max Messner | 25 | LB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-3 | Cincinnati | 10/13/1938 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 99th pick / 1960 |
| Earl Morrall | 29 | QB | 14 | 11 | 205 | 6-1 | Michigan State | 5/17/1934 | 7 | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 2nd pick / 1956 |
| Floyd Peters | 27 | DT | 14 | 0 | 254 | 6-4 | San Francisco State | 5/21/1936 | 4 | Baltimore Colts / 8th / 93rd pick / 1958 |
| Nick Pietrosante | 26 | FB | 12 | 0 | 225 | 6-2 | Notre Dame | 9/10/1937 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 6th pick / 1959 |
| Milt Plum | 28 | QB | 10 | 3 | 205 | 6-1 | Penn State | 1/20/1935 | 6 | Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 17th pick / 1957 |
| Lucien Reeberg | 21 | T | 14 | 0 | 285 | 6-4 | Hampton | 2/21/1942 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 19th / 264th pick / 1963 |
| Nick Ryder | 22 | FB | 10 | 0 | 210 | 5-11 | Miami (FL) | 10/31/1941 | Rook | New York Jets / 16th / 123rd pick / 1963 |
| Daryl Sanders | 22 | T | 14 | 14 | 250 | 6-5 | Ohio State | 4/24/1941 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1963 |
| Joe Schmidt* | 31 | LB | 10 | 0 | 220 | 6-1 | Pittsburgh | 1/19/1932 | 10 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 85th pick / 1953 |
| Bob Scholtz | 26 | C-G-T | 9 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Notre Dame | 12/25/1937 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 27th pick / 1960 |
| Jim Simon | 23 | G-T | 13 | 0 | 240 | 6-4 | Miami (FL) | 3/22/1940 | Rook | Boston Patriots / 9th / 71st pick / 1963 |
| Larry Vargo | 24 | DB-LB | 14 | 0 | 215 | 6-3 | Detroit Mercy | 4/5/1939 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 11th / 150th pick / 1961 |
| Wayne H. Walker* | 27 | LB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-2 | Idaho | 9/30/1936 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1958 |
| Tom Watkins | 26 | HB | 13 | 0 | 195 | 6-0 | Iowa State | 10/23/1937 | 2 | Oakland Raiders / 8th / 57th pick / 1961 |
| Bob Whitlow | 27 | C | 14 | 14 | 236 | 6-2 | Arizona,Indiana | 2/15/1936 | 3 | |
| Sam Williams | 32 | DE-E-LB | 14 | 0 | 235 | 6-5 | Michigan State | 3/9/1931 | 4 | Los Angeles Rams / 24th / 288th pick / 1956 |
| Team Total | 26.7 | 14 | 220.9 | 6-2.0 | 4.0 |