Detroit Lions history

Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio, and called the Portsmouth Spartans, the team formally joined the NFL on July 12, 1930, and began to play in the 1930 season.

Known as the Spartans, the team was one of two (with the Green Bay Packers) small-town members of the early NFL. The Spartans were moderately successful and played in the first playoff game in league history—a 9–0 loss to the Chicago Bears at the end of the 1932 season.

An annual tradition, the Lions have played on Thanksgiving Day since 1934, due to the influence of the team’s first owner George Richards, who also owned the WJR radio station.

Earl “Dutch” Clark, the team’s first quarterback, led them to the National Championship in 1935.

At the end of 1936, coach Potsy Clark, whose relationship with owner George Richards was strained, left to be replaced by Dutch Clark.

Playing at Briggs Stadium Starting in 1938

1940: Chicago department store executive Fred Mandel buys the franchise for $225,000.

After several coaching changes, the team settled in 1943 on Gus Dorais, who had formerly helmed the University of Detroit team.

By 1945, the Lions had returned to form and took second place in the NFL Western division with a 7-3 record.

The year 1948 also saw the Lions break the color barrier with the signing of the team's first African-American players, receiver Bob Mann and back Mel Groomes.

Before the 1950 season, Detroit added quarterback Bobby Layne and running back Doak Walker—two future Hall of Famers—and the Lions became one of the better teams in the league by the following year.

The franchise had finally become profitable, having gone into the black for the first time in 1951.

1952-53:Lions win back-to-back NFL championships.

The Lions played the Browns for the NFL title a fourth time, in 1957, with Detroit handily beating Cleveland by 45 points to win its third championship in a six-year span.

In 1961, a fight for control of the Lions erupted between Fife and Anderson, which resulted in the latter relinquishing the job of president to director William Clay Ford, though he stayed on as general manager.

On November 22, 1963, Ford purchased a controlling interest in the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, from Edwin Anderson and Lyle Fife for $4.5 million.

1964: William Clay Ford pays $4.5 million to become the sole owner of the franchise.

Gilmer's tenure was brief, however, and recently retired star Joe Schmidt was named to the post in 1967, the same year that Edwin Anderson was replaced by Russ Thomas as general manager.

Seeking to improve the team's performance, in 1978 the Lions named yet another new head coach, Monte Clark.

The Lions finally ended their long championship drought by winning the NFC Central Division championship in 1983.

The front office let Clark and his entire coaching staff go at the end of the 1984 season, replacing them with a group headed by Darryl Rogers.

In November 1988, Rogers too was fired and replaced by defensive coordinator Wayne Fontes.

The team has struggled since its last championship, only winning one playoff game since then, which occurred in 1991.

At the end of a disappointing 1996 season, Fontes was dismissed and replaced by Bobby Ross.

Once the funding was set, construction of the enclosed 65,000 seat Ford Field began in November of 1999.

In 2001 the team hired former NFL linebacker Matt Millen to serve as general manager, despite the fact that he had no previous front-office experience.

In January 2003, Mornhinweg was dismissed and replaced by former boss Steve Mariucci, who had himself just been fired as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

He was fired early in the 2008 season, which saw the Lions post the first 0–16 season in league history.

With the first overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft, Detroit drafted quarterback Matt Stafford, who became the hub of a potent passing attack that also featured All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

In August 2010, a group formed the Detroit Pride, which became the unofficial cheerleaders for the team.

In 2011 the Lions qualified for their first playoff appearance in 12 years.

The team responded to the new leadership by winning 11 games in 2014 to return to the playoffs, where Detroit lost its opening game.

After missing the playoffs in 2015, Detroit bounced back the following year to capture a postseason berth, which resulted in another loss in the team’s opening game.

On June 12, 2016, the Lions announced their decision to add official cheerleaders to the Lions organization.