Detroit Lions: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Robert Porcher entered into the NFL a full decade after quarterback sacks became an official statistic in 1982. That was certainly great timing for his career because unlike the No. 20 player on this list, Al “Bubba” Baker, all of Porcher’s sacks are officially listed in the NFL’s record book.

In his career as a Lion, Porcher tallied 95.5 total sacks. That number was good enough to establish him as Detroit’s all-time leader in that category. From 1996 to 1999, Porcher had four consecutive seasons of double-digit sacks for his team (the first Lion ever to do so). He hit double digits for the final time in his career in 2001.

His defensive dominance is something that absolutely cannot be understated. Not all first-round draft picks are able to carve out a successful niche for themselves in the league, but Porcher’s success was not to be denied. He was picked by Detroit with the 26th overall selection in 1992. To this day, his selection was one of the best in franchise history.

The proud South Carolina State Bulldog never played in less than 14 games during any of his professional seasons. Though he played primarily at defensive end, his positional versatility allowed him to play at both defensive end and defensive tackle when it was called for during games.

He made the Pro Bowl after the 1997, 1999 and 2001 seasons. Even in post-retirement, Porcher stayed close to the metro Detroit area with a few successful business ventures.