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1972 Detroit Lions
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Record: 8-5-1, Finished 2nd in NFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 339 points (24.2/g), 6th of 26 in the NFL.
Allowed 290 points (20.7/g), 17th.
Differential of 49 points (3.5/g), 10th.
Expected W-L: 8.3-5.7.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +2 (0.1/g), 9th.
Coached by Joe Schmidt (8-5-1)
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1972 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 | Greg Landry | 26 | 4 | 14 | 134 for 268, 2,066 yards, 18 td, 17 int, & 81 rushes for 524 yards and 9 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 11th pick / 1968 |
| RB | Altie Taylor | 25 | 3 | 0 | 154 rushes for 658 yards, 4 td, & 29 catches for 250 yards and 2 td | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1969 |
| FB | Steve Owens | 25 | 2 | 0 | 143 rushes for 519 yards, 4 td, & 15 catches for 100 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 19th pick / 1970 |
| WR | Ron Jessie | 24 | 1 | 0 | 24 catches for 424 yards, 4 td | Dallas Cowboys / 8th / 206th pick / 1971 |
| WR | Larry Walton | 25 | 3 | 0 | 24 catches for 485 yards, 6 td | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 59th pick / 1969 |
| TE | Charlie Sanders | 26 | 4 | 0 | 27 catches for 416 yards, 2 td | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 74th pick / 1968 |
| LT | Jim Yarbrough | 26 | 3 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 47th pick / 1969 |
| LG | Chuck Walton | 31 | 5 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 55th pick / 1963 |
|
| C | Ed Flanagan | 28 | 7 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 5th / 64th pick / 1965 |
| RG | Bob Kowalkowski | 29 | 6 | 14 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 95th pick / 1965 |
|
| RT | Rocky Freitas* | 27 | 4 | 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 73rd pick / 1967 |
|
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Jim H. Mitchell | 24 | 2 | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 71st pick / 1970 |
| LDT | Larry Woods | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 4th / 100th pick / 1971 |
| RDT | Bob Bell | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 1st / 21st pick / 1971 |
| RDE | Larry Hand | 32 | 7 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 10th / 132nd pick / 1964 |
| LLB | Paul Naumoff | 27 | 5 | 14 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 60th pick / 1967 |
| MLB | Mike Lucci | 33 | 10 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 69th pick / 1961 |
| RLB | Wayne H. Walker | 36 | 14 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1958 |
| LCB | Lem Barney* | 27 | 5 | 0 | 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1967 |
| RCB | Rudy Redmond | 25 | 3 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Chicago Bears / 4th / 91st pick / 1969 |
| SS | Mike Weger | 27 | 5 | 0 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 218th pick / 1967 |
|
| FS | Dick LeBeau | 35 | 13 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 58th pick / 1959 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Errol Mann | 31 | 4 | 0 | 20 of 29 field goals & 38 of 39 extra points | |
| P | Herman Weaver | 24 | 2 | 0 | 43 punts for a 40.3 average, 0 blocked | Detroit Lions / 9th / 227th pick / 1970 |
| PR | Lem Barney* | 27 | 5 | 0 | 15 punt returns for a 7.2 average and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1967 |
| KR | Mickey Zofko | 23 | 1 | 0 | 26 kick returns for a 23.7 average and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 9th / 229th pick / 1971 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Barnes | 23 | WR | 9 | 0 | 170 | 6-1 | New Mexico State | 7/4/1949 | Rook | |
| Lem Barney* | 27 | DB | 14 | 0 | 188 | 6-0 | Jackson State | 9/8/1945 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1967 |
| Bob Bell | 24 | DT-DE | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Cincinnati | 1/25/1948 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 21st pick / 1971 |
| Craig Cotton | 25 | TE | 14 | 0 | 216 | 6-5 | Youngstown State | 7/7/1947 | 3 | San Diego Chargers / 8th / 200th pick / 1969 |
| Nick Eddy | 28 | RB | 2 | 0 | 210 | 6-1 | Notre Dame | 8/23/1944 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 24th pick / 1966 |
| Mel Farr | 28 | RB | 10 | 0 | 210 | 6-2 | UCLA | 11/3/1944 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 7th pick / 1967 |
| Ed Flanagan | 28 | C | 14 | 0 | 245 | 6-3 | Purdue | 2/23/1944 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 5th / 64th pick / 1965 |
| Rocky Freitas* | 27 | T | 14 | 14 | 270 | 6-6 | Oregon State | 9/7/1945 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 73rd pick / 1967 |
| Frank Gallagher | 29 | G | 14 | 0 | 245 | 6-2 | North Carolina | 3/2/1943 | 5 | |
| John Gordon | 24 | DT | 2 | 0 | 260 | 6-6 | Hawaii,New Mexico State | 8/29/1948 | Rook | |
| Gene Hamlin | 26 | C | 5 | 0 | 245 | 6-3 | Western Michigan | 7/26/1946 | 2 | |
| Larry Hand | 32 | DE-DT | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Appalachian State | 7/10/1940 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 10th / 132nd pick / 1964 |
| John Hilton | 30 | TE | 5 | 0 | 225 | 6-5 | Richmond | 3/12/1942 | 7 | Detroit Lions / 6th / 76th pick / 1964 |
| Leon Jenkins | 22 | DB | 4 | 0 | 165 | 5-11 | West Virginia | 8/26/1950 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 16th / 405th pick / 1972 |
| Ron Jessie | 24 | WR | 14 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | Kansas | 2/4/1948 | 1 | Dallas Cowboys / 8th / 206th pick / 1971 |
| Gordon Jolley | 23 | G-T | 5 | 0 | 250 | 6-5 | Utah | 5/22/1949 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 17th / 436th pick / 1971 |
| Bob Kowalkowski | 29 | G | 14 | 14 | 240 | 6-3 | Virginia | 11/5/1943 | 6 | Detroit Lions / 7th / 95th pick / 1965 |
| Greg Landry | 26 | QB | 14 | 14 | 210 | 6-4 | Massachusetts | 12/18/1946 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 11th pick / 1968 |
| Dick LeBeau | 35 | DB | 14 | 0 | 185 | 6-1 | Ohio State | 9/9/1937 | 13 | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 58th pick / 1959 |
| Mike Lucci | 33 | LB | 14 | 0 | 230 | 6-2 | Pittsburgh,Tennessee | 12/29/1939 | 10 | Cleveland Browns / 5th / 69th pick / 1961 |
| Errol Mann | 31 | K | 14 | 0 | 200 | 6-0 | North Dakota | 6/27/1941 | 4 | |
| Earl McCullouch | 26 | WR-SE | 10 | 0 | 175 | 5-11 | USC | 1/10/1946 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 24th pick / 1968 |
| Jim H. Mitchell | 24 | DE-DT | 14 | 0 | 245 | 6-3 | Virginia State | 9/15/1948 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 71st pick / 1970 |
| Bill Munson | 31 | QB | 2 | 0 | 203 | 6-2 | Utah State | 8/11/1941 | 8 | Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 7th pick / 1964 |
| Paul Naumoff | 27 | LB | 14 | 14 | 215 | 6-1 | Tennessee | 7/3/1945 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 60th pick / 1967 |
| Rick Ogle | 23 | LB | 4 | 0 | 230 | 6-3 | Colorado | 1/14/1949 | 1 | St. Louis Cardinals / 11th / 277th pick / 1971 |
| Herb Orvis | 26 | DT-DE | 14 | 2 | 248 | 6-5 | Colorado | 10/17/1946 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 1st / 16th pick / 1972 |
| Steve Owens | 25 | RB | 10 | 0 | 215 | 6-2 | Oklahoma | 12/9/1947 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 19th pick / 1970 |
| Charlie Potts | 23 | DB | 10 | 0 | 210 | 6-3 | Purdue | 4/29/1949 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 6th / 145th pick / 1972 |
| Al Randolph | 28 | DB | 6 | 0 | 205 | 6-2 | Iowa | 7/8/1944 | 6 | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 37th pick / 1966 |
| Rocky Rasley | 25 | G | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-3 | Oregon State | 4/27/1947 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 216th pick / 1969 |
| Wayne Rasmussen | 30 | DB | 7 | 0 | 175 | 6-2 | South Dakota State | 6/7/1942 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 117th pick / 1964 |
| Rudy Redmond | 25 | DB | 14 | 0 | 196 | 6-1 | Pacific | 8/25/1947 | 3 | Chicago Bears / 4th / 91st pick / 1969 |
| Charlie Sanders | 26 | TE | 9 | 0 | 225 | 6-4 | Minnesota | 8/25/1946 | 4 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 74th pick / 1968 |
| Ken Sanders | 22 | DE | 6 | 0 | 240 | 6-5 | Howard Payne | 8/22/1950 | Rook | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 65th pick / 1972 |
| Joe Schmiesing | 27 | DE-DT | 5 | 0 | 245 | 6-4 | Minnesota,New Mexico State | 4/1/1945 | 4 | St. Louis Cardinals / 4th / 96th pick / 1968 |
| Bob Tatarek | 26 | DT | 2 | 0 | 270 | 6-4 | Miami (FL) | 7/3/1946 | 4 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 34th pick / 1968 |
| Altie Taylor | 25 | RB | 13 | 0 | 200 | 5-10 | Utah State | 9/29/1947 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1969 |
| Dave Thompson | 23 | T-C-G | 7 | 0 | 270 | 6-4 | Clemson | 2/1/1949 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 30th pick / 1971 |
| Bill Triplett | 32 | RB-DB | 14 | 0 | 215 | 6-2 | Miami (OH) | 5/9/1940 | 10 | Boston Patriots / 9th / 70th pick / 1962 |
| Wayne H. Walker | 36 | LB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-2 | Idaho | 9/30/1936 | 14 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 45th pick / 1958 |
| Chuck Walton | 31 | G | 10 | 0 | 253 | 6-3 | Iowa State | 7/7/1941 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 55th pick / 1963 |
| Larry Walton | 25 | WR-FL | 14 | 0 | 180 | 6-0 | Arizona State | 2/8/1947 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 3rd / 59th pick / 1969 |
| Charlie Weaver | 23 | LB | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | USC | 7/12/1949 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 48th pick / 1971 |
| Herman Weaver | 24 | P | 14 | 0 | 210 | 6-4 | Tennessee | 11/17/1948 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 227th pick / 1970 |
| Mike Weger | 27 | DB | 14 | 0 | 200 | 6-2 | Bowling Green | 10/2/1945 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 218th pick / 1967 |
| Larry Woods | 24 | DT | 12 | 0 | 260 | 6-6 | Tennessee State | 5/11/1948 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 100th pick / 1971 |
| Jim Yarbrough | 26 | T | 13 | 0 | 265 | 6-5 | Florida | 10/28/1946 | 3 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 47th pick / 1969 |
| Adrian Young | 26 | LB | 10 | 0 | 232 | 6-1 | USC | 1/31/1946 | 4 | Philadelphia Eagles / 3rd / 68th pick / 1968 |
| Mickey Zofko | 23 | RB | 14 | 0 | 195 | 6-3 | Auburn | 6/8/1949 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 229th pick / 1971 |
| Team Total | 26.7 | 14 | 222.4 | 6-2.6 | 3.9 |