Detroit Lions: 15 greatest wide receivers in franchise history

A Pennsylvania native, Larry Walton began his career at Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado nack in the 1960s. After making his mark for the JUCO school, Walton transferred to Arizona State where he began to stand out as a player. Following a senior campaign in which he had 719 yards receiving, Walton went pro and was selected 59th overall by the Detroit Lions.

Walton started out slow for the Lions, catching just 12 passes as a rookie. He then started to come into his own by year two. That season, he brought in 30 receptions for 532 yards and five touchdowns. A deep threat for the Lions, Walton averaged 17.7 yards per catch during that campaign.

This continued to be his calling card throughout his seven seasons in Detroit. The 6-foot-0, 180-pound Walton was a burner who averaged nearly 16 yards per catch throughout his career. His best season in terms of getting deep was 1972 when he had 485 yards on just 24 receptions, good for an average of just over 20-yards.

As of 2019, Walton is 22nd all-time for receptions in Lions history with 169 and lands in the same spot for yardage with 2,623 yards. However, he shoots all the way up to the top-10 for touchdowns as he’s tied with two other players there with 26.