Our friends at Touchdown Wire recently opted to determine the best defensive player for every NFL franchise. For the Detroit Lions, the choice was a pretty easy one.
Joe Schmidt
The powerful, prolific linebacker from the franchise’s heyday in the 1950s and early 1960s earned the bid. Schmidt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 after his highly decorated career. Schmidt’s No. 56 is the only defensive player jersey to be retired by the Lions.
“Joe Schmidt was a transcendent linebacker for over a decade, earning eight first-team All-Pro honors in 10 years and making the Pro Bowl every season from 1954-1963. Twice he was voted the league’s best defender by his peers.”
Lem Barney, Alex Karras, Dick Lebeau and Yale Lary — all Hall of Famers — belong in the argument with Schmidt, but he’s the clear cream of the Lions defensive crop.
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