The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the North Division of the National Football Conference.[1] The franchise was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans and joined the NFL on July 12, 1930.[2] After being purchased by George A. Richards in 1934, the franchise was relocated to Detroit and renamed to the Detroit Lions in reference to the city's Major League Baseball franchise, the Detroit Tigers.[3][4] The team plays its home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.[5]
Since their founding, hundreds of players have played at least one game for the team. Many, but not all of these players were selected by the Lions in the NFL draft, which began in 1936. To honor their contributions to the team, the Lions have recognized their own players in various ways, including retiring uniform numbers and establishing a team hall of fame. Additionally, Lions' players have been recognized nationally for their performance, most notably through induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lions' players have also been selected for the Pro Bowl and named to numerous "All-Time Teams". The following lists provide an overview of notable groupings of Detroit Lions players.