The most successful coach in the Super Bowl era for the Detroit Lions, Wayne Fontes is still very popular among Lions fans more than 20 years after his coaching career ended. Fontes joined the Detroit Lions Podcast on Wednesday night, and I was able to participate as a co-host to talk to the Lions legend, the only man to win a playoff game for Detroit in the last 60 years.
Hosts Chris, Case and myself asked Fontes about his time in Detroit, why he was successful, Barry Sanders, his relationship with the Ford family and more.
Fontes led off by talking about how ahead of the NFL curve he was in terms of being enthusiastic and emotionally connected with his Lions players. It’s a great indicator of why he was successful and why he’s still beloved by so many fans.
He’s a big advocate for building around Matthew Stafford. Fontes repeatedly stressed the importance of having a great QB and he staunchly believes Stafford can win a Super Bowl in Detroit. “The team with the better quarterback usually wins,” is something he stressed.
We spent a lot of time talking about Barry Sanders and what made him special. The two men shared a close bond, and Fontes talks about how he went to great lengths to make sure the Lions drafted him back in 1989.
It was a great trip back to the most successful era of Lions football in the Super Bowl era. Coach Fontes is a great storyteller with a fond recollection of his time in Detroit.
You can watch the YouTube video of the interview (Fontes is not on camera) below, or listen to the interview here or on your favorite podcast provider.