You Are Here > Pro-Football-Reference.com > Teams > Detroit Lions > 1975 Starters, Roster, & Players

1975 Detroit Lions

Franchise IndexPrevious Season / Next Season

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.

Coached by Rick Forzano (7-7-0)

1975 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 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

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
Larry Ball 26 LB 14 0 232 6-6 Louisville 9/27/1949 3

Miami Dolphins / 4th / 91st pick / 1972

Lem Barney* 30 DB 10 10 188 6-0 Jackson State 9/8/1945 8

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1967

Lynn Boden 22 G-T 14 12 270 6-3 South Dakota State 6/5/1953 Rook

Detroit Lions / 1st / 13th pick / 1975

Marlin Briscoe 30 WR-QB-FL 8 7 178 5-11 Nebraska-Omaha 9/10/1945 7

Denver Broncos / 14th / 357th pick / 1968

Dexter Bussey 23 RB 13 13 195 6-1 Oklahoma,Texas-Arlington 3/11/1952 1

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 65th pick / 1974

Jack Concannon 32 QB 7 0 205 6-3 Boston College 2/25/1943 11

Boston Patriots / 1st / 1st pick / 1964
Philadelphia Eagles / 2nd / 16th pick / 1964

Ben Davis 30 DB 11 3 180 5-11 Defiance 10/30/1945 8

Cleveland Browns / 17th / 439th pick / 1967

Guy Dennis 28 G-C 12 0 255 6-2 Florida 2/28/1947 6

Cincinnati Bengals / 5th / 109th pick / 1969

Lenny Dunlap 26 DB 6 1 196 6-1 North Texas 6/25/1949 4

Baltimore Colts / 1st / 26th pick / 1971

Doug English 22 DT-NT 14 0 255 6-5 Texas 8/25/1953 Rook

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 38th pick / 1975

George Farmer 27 WR 6 1 214 6-4 UCLA 4/19/1948 5

Chicago Bears / 3rd / 54th pick / 1970

Dennis Franklin 22 WR 4 2 185 6-1 Michigan 8/24/1953 Rook

Detroit Lions / 6th / 144th pick / 1975

Rocky Freitas 30 T 14 14 270 6-6 Oregon State 9/7/1945 7

Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 73rd pick / 1967

Larry Hand 35 DE-DT 14 0 250 6-4 Appalachian State 7/10/1940 10

Detroit Lions / 10th / 132nd pick / 1964
New York Jets / 21st / 163rd pick / 1964

Mike Hennigan 24 LB 4 0 217 6-2 Parsons,Tennessee Tech 10/24/1951 2

Detroit Lions / 4th / 81st pick / 1973

Craig Hertwig 23 T 9 1 270 6-8 Georgia 1/15/1952 Rook

Detroit Lions / 4th / 94th pick / 1975

R.W. Hicks 24 C 14 0 250 6-4 Humboldt State,Southwestern (TX) 1/4/1951 Rook
Jim Hooks 25 RB 12 0 225 5-11 Central Oklahoma 10/23/1950 2

Detroit Lions / 4th / 96th pick / 1973

Billy Howard 25 DE-DT 13 12 252 6-4 Alcorn State 7/17/1950 1

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 39th pick / 1974

Ray Jarvis 26 WR 14 12 200 6-0 Norfolk State 2/2/1949 4

Atlanta Falcons / 5th / 111th pick / 1971

Dick Jauron 25 DB 10 10 190 6-0 Yale 10/7/1950 2

Detroit Lions / 4th / 91st pick / 1973

Levi Johnson 25 DB 14 14 196 6-3 Texas A&M-Kingsville 10/30/1950 2

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 75th pick / 1973

Gordon Jolley 26 G-T 2 2 250 6-5 Utah 5/22/1949 3

Detroit Lions / 17th / 436th pick / 1971

Horace King 22 RB 14 0 208 5-10 Georgia 3/5/1953 Rook

Detroit Lions / 6th / 141st pick / 1975

Bob Kowalkowski 32 G 14 14 240 6-3 Virginia 11/5/1943 9

Detroit Lions / 7th / 95th pick / 1965

Greg Landry 29 QB 6 3 210 6-4 Massachusetts 12/18/1946 7

Detroit Lions / 1st / 11th pick / 1968

Jim Laslavic 24 LB 14 13 237 6-2 Penn State 10/24/1951 2

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 71st pick / 1973

Errol Mann 34 K 14 0 200 6-0 North Dakota 6/27/1941 7
John McMakin 25 TE 11 2 232 6-3 Clemson 9/24/1950 3

Pittsburgh Steelers / 3rd / 63rd pick / 1972

Jim H. Mitchell 27 DE-DT 14 2 245 6-3 Virginia State 9/15/1948 5

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 71st pick / 1970

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

Bill Munson 34 QB 5 3 203 6-2 Utah State 8/11/1941 11

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 7th pick / 1964
Houston Oilers / 16th / 126th pick / 1964

Paul Naumoff 30 LB 14 14 215 6-1 Tennessee 7/3/1945 8

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 60th pick / 1967

Ed O'Neil 23 LB 14 6 236 6-3 Penn State 9/8/1952 1

Detroit Lions / 1st / 8th pick / 1974

Herb Orvis 29 DT-DE 14 14 248 6-5 Colorado 10/17/1946 3

Detroit Lions / 1st / 16th pick / 1972

Ernie Price 25 DE 13 0 248 6-4 Texas A&M-Kingsville 9/20/1950 2

Detroit Lions / 1st / 17th pick / 1973

Alan Pringle 23 K 1 0 195 6-0 Rice 1/20/1952 Rook

Houston Oilers / 10th / 246th pick / 1975

Joe Reed 27 QB 10 8 195 6-1 Baylor,Mississippi State 1/8/1948 3

San Francisco 49ers / 11th / 283rd pick / 1971

Charlie Sanders* 29 TE 13 12 225 6-4 Minnesota 8/25/1946 7

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 74th pick / 1968

Ken Sanders 25 DE 14 14 240 6-5 Howard Payne 8/22/1950 3

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 65th pick / 1972

Jon Staggers 27 WR 5 4 185 5-10 Missouri 12/14/1948 5

Pittsburgh Steelers / 5th / 105th pick / 1970

Altie Taylor 28 RB 14 14 200 5-10 Utah State 9/29/1947 6

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 34th pick / 1969

Bobby Thompson 28 RB 14 1 195 5-11 Oklahoma 1/16/1947 Rook
Leonard Thompson 23 WR-HB 14 1 192 5-11 Oklahoma State 7/28/1952 Rook

Detroit Lions / 8th / 194th pick / 1975

Charlie Weaver 26 LB 12 9 220 6-2 USC 7/12/1949 4

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 48th pick / 1971

Herman Weaver 27 P 14 0 210 6-4 Tennessee 11/17/1948 5

Detroit Lions / 9th / 227th pick / 1970

Mike Weger 30 DB 13 4 200 6-2 Bowling Green 10/2/1945 8

Detroit Lions / 9th / 218th pick / 1967

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

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