Detroit Lions: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Joe Schmidt was a trailblazer who was well ahead of his time on the football field. He came into the league at the age of 21, a year after Detroit’s 1952 NFL championship. He played in all 12 games during his rookie year. He even managed to come down with two interceptions.

In 1953, Detroit would go in to win their second of two consecutive league titles. From that point forward, the next decade of Schmidt’s career really went into overdrive.

From 1954 to 1963, Schmidt was a 10-time Pro Bowler, as he also earned first-team All-Pro honors for eight out of those 10 years. Throw in the Lions’ 1957 championship to those other earned accolades and what you have is arguably, the best decade of any player in team history!

Transitioning from college at the University of Pittsburgh to the professional level of the NFL was a seamless one for Schmidt to make. Not only did he always rise to the occasion as a competitor, but he also helped his teammates to raise their own levels of play.

Schmidt pioneered the trend of the middle linebacker getting their teammates lined up into the proper position on the defensive side of the ball prior to the offensive snap. He was a true defensive ”quarterback” for his generation.

His knack for getting the most out of his teammates made his transition to becoming a coach who got the most out of his players a natural one. His playing career came to an end at age 33. By age 35, Joe Schmidt found himself as the head coach of his former team.

In six years the helm, he guided the Lions to a 43-34-7 record.  Up until Jim Caldwell’s .563 winning percentage at the end of his tenure as Lions head coach, Schmidt was the last full-time Lion head coach to finish with a winning record (.554).