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1975 Detroit Lions

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Record: 7-7-0, Finished 2nd in NFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 245 points (17.5/g), 18th of 26 in the NFL.
 Allowed 262 points (18.7/g), 8th.
 Differential of -17 points (-1.2/g), 13th.
 Expected W-L: 6.4-7.6.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +7 (0.5/g), 10th.

Simple Rating System: Total -1.9, Offense: -3.2, Defense: 1.3, SoS: -0.7, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Rick Forzano (7-7-0)

Training Camp: Oakland University (Rochester, Michigan)

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 Joe Reed 27 3 8 86 for 191, 1,181 yards, 9 td, 10 int, & 34 rushes for 193 yards and 1 td San Francisco 49ers / 11th / 283rd pick / 1971
RB Altie Taylor 28 6 14 195 rushes for 638 yards, 4 td, & 21 catches for 111 yards and 0 td Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1969
FB Dexter Bussey 23 1 13 157 rushes for 696 yards, 2 td, & 14 catches for 175 yards and 2 td Detroit Lions / 3rd / 65th pick / 1974
WR Marlin Briscoe 30 7 7 22 catches for 347 yards, 4 td, & 2 rushes for -3 yards and 0 td Denver Broncos / 14th / 357th pick / 1968
WR Ray Jarvis 26 4 12 29 catches for 501 yards, 4 td, & 1 rush for 0 yards and 0 td Atlanta Falcons / 5th / 111th pick / 1971
TE Charlie Sanders* 29 7 12 37 catches for 486 yards, 3 td Detroit Lions / 3rd / 74th pick / 1968
LT Jim Yarbrough 29 6 13 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 47th pick / 1969
LG Lynn Boden 22 Rook 12 1 fumble recovered Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1975
C Jon Morris 33 11 14 Green Bay Packers / 2nd / 27th pick / 1964
Boston Patriots / 4th / 29th pick / 1964
RG Bob Kowalkowski 32 9 14 Detroit Lions / 7th / 95th pick / 1965
RT Rocky Freitas 30 7 14 Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 73rd pick / 1967
 Defensive Starters
LDE Ken Sanders 25 3 14 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 65th pick / 1972
LDT Herb Orvis 29 3 14 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Detroit Lions / 1st / 16th pick / 1972
RDT Larry Hand 35 10 0 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered Detroit Lions / 10th / 132nd pick / 1964
New York Jets / 21st / 163rd pick / 1964
RDE Billy Howard 25 1 12 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Detroit Lions / 2nd / 39th pick / 1974
LLB Paul Naumoff 30 8 14 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Detroit Lions / 3rd / 60th pick / 1967
MLB Jim Laslavic 24 2 13 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Detroit Lions / 3rd / 71st pick / 1973
RLB Charlie Weaver 26 4 9 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered Detroit Lions / 2nd / 48th pick / 1971
RLB Ed O'Neil 23 1 6 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Detroit Lions / 1st / 8th pick / 1974
LCB Lem Barney* 30 8 10 5 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1967
RCB Levi Johnson 25 2 14 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Detroit Lions / 3rd / 75th pick / 1973
SS Charlie West 29 7 14 Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1968
FS Dick Jauron 25 2 10 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Detroit Lions / 4th / 91st pick / 1973
 Special Teams Starters
K Errol Mann 34 7 0 14 of 21 field goals & 25 of 29 extra points
P Herman Weaver 27 5 0 80 punts for a 42.0 average, 1 blocked Detroit Lions / 9th / 227th pick / 1970
PR Charlie West 29 7 14 22 punt returns for a 10.0 average and 0 td Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1968
KR Bobby Thompson 28 Rook 1 22 kick returns for a 25.7 average and 0 td

Roster

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
51 Larry Ball 26 LB 14 0 232 6-6 Louisville 9/27/1949 3 Miami Dolphins / 4th / 91st pick / 1972
20 Lem Barney* 30 DB 10 10 188 6-0 Jackson St. 9/8/1945 8 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1967
62 Lynn Boden 22 G-T 14 12 270 6-3 South Dakota St. 6/5/1953 Rook Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1975
43 Marlin Briscoe 30 WR-QB-FL 8 7 178 5-11 Nebraska-Omaha 9/10/1945 7 Denver Broncos / 14th / 357th pick / 1968
24 Dexter Bussey 23 RB 13 13 195 6-1 Oklahoma,Texas-Arlington 3/11/1952 1 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 65th pick / 1974
10 Jack Concannon 32 QB 7 0 205 6-3 Boston Col. 2/25/1943 11 Boston Patriots / 1st / 1st pick / 1964
Philadelphia Eagles / 2nd / 16th pick / 1964
29 Ben Davis 30 DB 11 3 180 5-11 Defiance 10/30/1945 8 Cleveland Browns / 17th / 439th pick / 1967
60 Guy Dennis 28 G-C 12 0 255 6-2 Florida 2/28/1947 6 Cincinnati Bengals / 5th / 109th pick / 1969
32 Lenny Dunlap 26 DB 6 1 196 6-1 North Texas 6/25/1949 4 Baltimore Colts / 1st / 26th pick / 1971
78 Doug English 22 DT-NT 14 0 255 6-5 Texas 8/25/1953 Rook Detroit Lions / 2nd / 38th pick / 1975
44 George Farmer 27 WR 6 1 214 6-4 UCLA 4/19/1948 5 Chicago Bears / 3rd / 54th pick / 1970
89 Dennis Franklin 22 WR 4 2 185 6-1 Michigan 8/24/1953 Rook Detroit Lions / 6th / 144th pick / 1975
76 Rocky Freitas 30 T 14 14 270 6-6 Oregon St. 9/7/1945 7 Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 73rd pick / 1967
74 Larry Hand 35 DE-DT 14 0 250 6-4 Appalachian St. 7/10/1940 10 Detroit Lions / 10th / 132nd pick / 1964
New York Jets / 21st / 163rd pick / 1964
58 Mike Hennigan 24 LB 4 0 217 6-2 Parsons,Tennessee Tech 10/24/1951 2 Detroit Lions / 4th / 81st pick / 1973
71 Craig Hertwig 23 T 9 1 270 6-8 Georgia 1/15/1952 Rook Detroit Lions / 4th / 94th pick / 1975
60 R.W. Hicks 24 C 14 0 250 6-4 Southwestern (TX),Humboldt St. 1/4/1951 Rook
30 Jim Hooks 25 RB 12 0 225 5-11 Central Oklahoma 10/23/1950 2 Detroit Lions / 4th / 96th pick / 1973
70 Billy Howard 25 DE-DT 13 12 252 6-4 Alcorn St. 7/17/1950 1 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 39th pick / 1974
45 Ray Jarvis 26 WR 14 12 200 6-0 Norfolk St. 2/2/1949 4 Atlanta Falcons / 5th / 111th pick / 1971
26 Dick Jauron 25 DB 10 10 190 6-0 Yale 10/7/1950 2 Detroit Lions / 4th / 91st pick / 1973
23 Levi Johnson 25 DB 14 14 196 6-3 Texas A&M-Kingsville 10/30/1950 2 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 75th pick / 1973
64 Gordon Jolley 26 G-T 2 2 250 6-5 Utah 5/22/1949 3 Detroit Lions / 17th / 436th pick / 1971
25 Horace King 22 RB 14 0 208 5-10 Georgia 3/5/1953 Rook Detroit Lions / 6th / 141st pick / 1975
66 Bob Kowalkowski 32 G 14 14 240 6-3 Virginia 11/5/1943 9 Detroit Lions / 7th / 95th pick / 1965
11 Greg Landry 29 QB 6 3 210 6-4 Massachusetts 12/18/1946 7 Detroit Lions / 1st / 11th pick / 1968
52 Jim Laslavic 24 LB 14 13 237 6-2 Penn St. 10/24/1951 2 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 71st pick / 1973
12 Errol Mann 34 K 14 0 200 6-0 North Dakota 6/27/1941 7
81 John McMakin 25 TE 11 2 232 6-3 Clemson 9/24/1950 3 Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 63rd pick / 1972
83 Jim H. Mitchell 27 DE-DT 14 2 245 6-3 Virginia St. 9/15/1948 5 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 71st pick / 1970
63 Jon Morris 33 C 14 14 254 6-4 Holy Cross 4/5/1942 11 Green Bay Packers / 2nd / 27th pick / 1964
Boston Patriots / 4th / 29th pick / 1964
19 Bill Munson 34 QB 5 3 203 6-2 Utah St. 8/11/1941 11 Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 7th pick / 1964
Houston Oilers / 16th / 126th pick / 1964
50 Paul Naumoff 30 LB 14 14 215 6-1 Tennessee 7/3/1945 8 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 60th pick / 1967
55 Ed O'Neil 23 LB 14 6 236 6-3 Penn St. 9/8/1952 1 Detroit Lions / 1st / 8th pick / 1974
80 Herb Orvis 29 DT-DE 14 14 248 6-5 Colorado 10/17/1946 3 Detroit Lions / 1st / 16th pick / 1972
72 Ernie Price 25 DE 13 0 248 6-4 Texas A&M-Kingsville 9/20/1950 2 Detroit Lions / 1st / 17th pick / 1973
15 Alan Pringle 23 K 1 0 195 6-0 Rice 1/20/1952 Rook Houston Oilers / 10th / 246th pick / 1975
14 Joe Reed 27 QB 10 8 195 6-1 Baylor,Mississippi St. 1/8/1948 3 San Francisco 49ers / 11th / 283rd pick / 1971
88 Charlie Sanders* 29 TE 13 12 225 6-4 Minnesota 8/25/1946 7 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 74th pick / 1968
82 Ken Sanders 25 DE 14 14 240 6-5 Howard Payne 8/22/1950 3 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 65th pick / 1972
86 Jon Staggers 27 WR 5 4 185 5-10 Missouri 12/14/1948 5 Pittsburgh Steelers / 5th / 105th pick / 1970
42 Altie Taylor 28 RB 14 14 200 5-10 Utah St. 9/29/1947 6 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1969
33 Bobby Thompson 28 RB 14 1 195 5-11 Oklahoma 1/16/1947 Rook
39 Leonard Thompson 23 WR-HB 14 1 192 5-11 Oklahoma St. 7/28/1952 Rook Detroit Lions / 8th / 194th pick / 1975
59 Charlie Weaver 26 LB 12 9 220 6-2 USC 7/12/1949 4 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 48th pick / 1971
18 Herman Weaver 27 P 14 0 210 6-4 Tennessee 11/17/1948 5 Detroit Lions / 9th / 227th pick / 1970
28 Mike Weger 30 DB 13 4 200 6-2 Bowling Green 10/2/1945 8 Detroit Lions / 9th / 218th pick / 1967
40 Charlie West 29 DB 14 14 197 6-1 Angelo State (TX),Texas-El Paso 8/31/1946 7 Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1968
75 Jim Yarbrough 29 T 13 13 265 6-5 Florida 10/28/1946 6 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 47th pick / 1969
Team Total 27.0 14 220.8 6-2.2 4.3