Detroit Lions: 15 greatest wide receivers in franchise history

The players of today are bigger, faster, and stronger than those who were the NFL pioneers. That’s been said time and again but that doesn’t mean there weren’t those who stood out during the early days of the league. That surely was the case with Cloyce Box who played with the Lions from 1949 through 1954 and was a sensational athlete that stood out above the rest.

At 6-foot-4 and 220-pounds, Box was a huge target for the Lions and he had no problem going up and getting the ball. He and his twin brother Boyce Box were standouts in high school but neither played football. They were both studs at basketball and Cloyce was rumored to have never even seen the game of football played until he was 18 years old.

A former U.S. Marine, Box was a 20th round pick of the Washington Redskins due to being incredibly raw and he never played a game for them. Instead, he spent his entire career with the Lions being labeled as a split-end and halfback for the team.

After gaining 62 yards on three carries as a rookie, Box spent the remainder of his career as a receiver for Detroit. In 1950, he broke out with 50 receptions for 1,009 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was called back to the military in 1951 but returned in 1952 and added another 15 touchdowns and 924 yards.

During a run-dominant era, he averaged more than 20-yards per catch and had 32 receiving touchdowns. His numbers would have been even better had he started his career earlier, but due to his military service, he didn’t get on the field until he was 26 and would only play five total seasons. Still, he was completely dominant during that time.