When Lions Were Kings: The Detroit Lions and the Fabulous Fifties by Richard Bak

Abstract

Reviewed by: When Lions Were Kings: The Detroit Lions and the Fabulous Fifties by Richard Bak Randy Snow Richard Bak. When Lions Were Kings: The Detroit Lions and the Fabulous Fifties. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 2020. Pp. 372. Illustrations. Notes. Index. Appendices. Hardcover: $39.99. In his latest book, author Richard Bak provides an in-depth look at the Detroit Lions teams of the 1950s. They played in four National Football League (NFL) championship games during the decade, winning three of them, all against the Cleveland Browns. For many of today's Lions fans, that may come as a bit of a surprise, seeing as the team has only won a single playoff game since 1957. The book begins with how the team was put together. The nucleus of the team was established in 1950 with the acquisition of three pivotal players that included back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners and a quarterback for the ages. End Leon Hart, the 1949 Heisman Trophy winner from Notre Dame, was selected by Detroit with the first overall pick in the 1950 NFL draft. Hart won three college football national championships with the Fighting Irish in 1946, 1947, and 1949. Halfback Doak Walker, the 1948 Heisman winner from Southern Methodist University (SMU), was also acquired in 1950. He had been selected in the first round of the NFL draft the year before by the NFL's Boston Bulldogs, so the Lions had to make a trade for him. The Lions also had to make a deal with the Cleveland Browns of the rival All-America Football Conference (AAFC), who held Walker's AAFC rights. Quarterback Bobby Layne of the University of Texas Longhorns was also acquired by Detroit via a trade in 1950 with the New York Bulldogs, where he played during the 1949 season. Walker and Layne grew up together and played high school football together at Highland Park High School in Texas. Lions Assistant Coach Buddy Parker was elevated to head coach in 1951 after Bo McMillan was forced to resign. Parker had played for the Lions during the 1935 season, when the team won its first NFL title over the New York Giants. Prior to coming to Detroit, he had been a player/coach with the Chicago Cardinals. In the 1951 draft, Parker [End Page 120] selected two future Hall of Famers—linebacker Jack Christianson and guard Dick Stanfel—as well as a pair of ends, Dorne Dibble and Jim Doran. Other future NFL superstars on the 1950s Lions teams included end Cloyce Box, guard/tackle Lou Creekmur, halfback Bob "Hunchy" Hoernschemeyer, linebacker Joe Schmidt, defensive back Yale Lary, halfback Terry Barr, defensive back Dick LeBeau, defensive end Darris McCord, linebacker Wayne Walker, and guard Les Bingaman. There was also running back Howard "Hopalong" Cassidy, the 1955 Heisman Trophy winner, and future hall-of-famer Alex Karras. The Detroit teams of the 1950s featured ten future hall of famers and three Heisman Trophy winners. The book is meticulously researched and even explores other aspects of life in Detroit during the 1950s. One chapter is devoted to the subject of racism. The Lions featured mainly white players during the decade. One of the exceptions was fullback John Henry Johnson, who was signed in 1957 from the 49ers. He had been a member of San Francisco's famed "Million Dollar Backfield." Another surprisingly interesting chapter is all about trading cards of the 1950s. There is a great collection of pictures featured in the book that includes many trading cards of Lions players during the decade. In fact, every chapter of the book is edged with parts of those trading cards, giving it a very unique look. Bak vividly captures the sights and sounds of Briggs Stadium on those cold December games. He also takes readers right inside the huddle, the locker room, and even the bars of Detroit with Bobby Layne. Whether you remember those Lions teams of the 1950s or not, this book is required reading for every fan of the Detroit Lions. It will remind you that there was a time when the Detroit Lions really were the kings of the NFL. Randy Snow www.theworldoffootball.comPro Football...