During the month of June, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will construct a Mount Rushmore for each team. For this series, we will only consider players. Today, the Detroit Lions are the focus.

Detroit Lions Mount Rushmore

Barry Sanders

This running back can’t be a surprise to anyone. Barry Sanders was one of the most elusive and beloved running backs in NFL history. His career with the Detroit Lions spanned from 1989-1998, and it would have been longer had he not retired early.

Sanders played ten years with the Lions, rushing for 15,269 yards with over 1,000 yards each year. He had a career total of 109 touchdowns and he was a ten-time Pro Bowler. At the start of his career, there were concerns about his size. At 5’8″, he was quite small for a running back, but his massive legs propelled him to accelerate through defenses. Sanders led the NFL in rushing yards four times and had five seasons in which he rushed for over 1,500 yards.

Sanders was a humble man, as he refused to perform any kind of touchdown celebration. Instead, he was keenly aware of where the referee was and tossed him the ball as if it was just another day at the job. He was truly an incredible player who retired too soon. Sanders was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and he should definitely be carved on the side of a mountain.

Calvin Johnson

Calvin “Megatron” Johnson has humiliated cornerbacks with his leaping ability and speed. In 2012, Johnson broke Jerry Rice’s single-season record for receiving yards with 1,964, averaging almost 123 yards per game. In that same year, he set the NFL record for consecutive 100-yard games (8) and tied Michael Irvin’s record for most 100-yard games in a season with 11.

He has been to the Pro Bowl five times already and he is the only player in NFL history to surpass 5,000 receiving yards in a three-year period. As a future Hall of Famer, Johnson will go down in Lions history as one of the best wide receivers to roar for the franchise.

Bobby Layne

Bobby Lane was a free-spirited, gutsy player and he played quarterback for multiple teams from 1948-1962. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears, was later traded to the New York Bulldogs, and then finally began his legendary career with the Lions. Layne led back-to-back NFL championship games for Detroit, ending a 17-year drought. During his time in Detroit, Layne appeared in four Pro Bowls and won three NFL Championships.

During his illustrious career, he threw for 26,768 yards and 196 touchdowns with an additional 25 rushing touchdowns and 2,451 rushing yards. Layne was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

Dick LeBeau

Dick LeBeau spent fourteen years as a player and forty-two years as a coach and he is one of the most brilliant defensive minds of all-time.

As a player, LeBeau was considered part of the most feared secondary in the NFL. He is considered one of the greatest defensive backs of all-time, recording 62 interceptions (tied for ninth all-time) for 792 yards and three touchdowns. He played his entire 14-year career with the Lions. He participated in three Pro Bowls and he holds the record for the most consecutive appearances by a cornerback with 171. In 2010, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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