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100 Detroit Lions Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

How much do you know about Detroit Lions? This category is for trivia questions and answers related to Detroit Lions (Sports). Each one is filled with fun facts and interesting information.
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1 Where did the Detroit Lions play their first-ever game?
Answer: University of Detroit Stadium

The game was played on Sepember 23, 1934. The Lions beat the New York Giants 9-0.
  From Quiz: The Detroit Lions
2 In what year did the Portsmouth Spartans become the Detroit Lions?
Answer: 1934

Radio executive George Richards led a group that bought the team and moved them to Detroit. They were named the Lions in recognition of the Detroit Tigers baseball team and because the Lion was the monarch of the jungle. Richards had aspirations of his team being the jungle leaders.
  From Quiz: All About the Lions
3 Who wore jersey number 20 during the 1996 season?
Answer: Barry Sanders

Barry was drafted third overall by the Lions in the 1989 NFL Draft. Some of his career highlights included 15,269 career rushing yards, 100 or more rushing yards in 76 games, 18,190 career yards from scrimmage, and a 2004 NFL Hall of Fame induction.
  From Quiz: Detroit Lions Jersey Numbers
4 The Lions missed out on all the first 37 Super Bowls. During that span, how many times did they appear in the NFC Championship game?
Answer: 1

During those years, the Lions only NFC Championship game appearance occurred after the 1991 season. They lost 41-10 to the Washington Redskins.
  From Quiz: Damaged Pride of Lions
5 Who was the first Lions player ever to win the NFC Defensive Player of the week award?
Answer: Michael Cofer

Michael Cofer won the award in week 8 of the 1984 season.
  From Quiz: Lions
6 In what year did the Lions have their first Thanksgiving Day game?
Answer: 1934

On Thanksgiving Day 1934 the Lions lost to the Chicago Bears by a score of 19-16 in their first ever Turkey Classic.
  From Quiz: For Lions Fans
7 In what year did the Lions win their first NFL Championship?
Answer: 1935

The Lions finished the regular season at 7 wins 3 losses and 2 ties. They defeated the New York Giants 26-7 in the Championship game.
  From Quiz: The Detroit Lions
8 This 5th round pick in the 1988 NFL draft out of LSU, was killed after the 1991 season when a semi-trailer truck ran off the highway and struck him while he was working in his front yard.
Answer: Eric Andolsek

Ralph Norwood, also an LSU alumni, was killed three years earlier in an auto accident.
    Your options: [ Shawn Bouwens ] [ Eric Andolsek ] [ Ralph Norwood ] [ Jerry Ball ]
  From Quiz: Curse of the Detroit Lions
9 In 2003, jersey number 3 was worn by whom?
Answer: Joey Harrington

Harrington was drafted third overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2002 NFL Draft. After four rocky seasons with the Lions, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins.
  From Quiz: Detroit Lions Jersey Numbers
10 Who led the Lions in passing yards in the 1979 NFL season?
Answer: Jeff Komlo

The only year he ever led the team in passing he posted 2,238 yards passing to go along with 11 TDs.
  From Quiz: Lions
11 In what year did the Lions win their first NFL Championship?
Answer: 1935

In only their second year of existence, the Lions beat the New York Giants 26-7 on December 15, 1935.
  From Quiz: For Lions Fans
12 On what holiday have the Detroit Lions always played?
Answer: Thanksgiving Day

Inaugural owner George Richards was a radio executive. Through his connections he was able to schedule the Lions for a Thanksgiving Day game their first season.
  From Quiz: All About the Lions
13 Although drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1987, this linebacker spent four seasons with the Lions before his life was tragically cut short by an automobile accident in 1994.
Answer: Toby Caston

Caston also attended LSU.
    Your options: [ Darryl Ford ] [ Toby Caston ] [ Dennis Gibson ] [ George Jamison ]
  From Quiz: Curse of the Detroit Lions
14 Jersey number 37 was worn by which Detroit Lion during the 1955 season?
Answer: Doak Walker

Doak won the Heisman Trophy in 1948 out of Southern Methodist University. The Doak Walker Award, first given out in 1990, was named after him and it honors the nation's top college football running back.
    Your options: [ Bobby Layne ] [ Doak Walker ] [ Chad Lobato ] [ Ryan Dzwigalski ]
  From Quiz: Detroit Lions Jersey Numbers
15 Who led the Lions in receiving yards for the 1985 season?
Answer: Leonard Thompson

Good ol' Leonard Thompson led the team in the 84 & 85 seasons, catching passes totaling 773 yards in 84 and 736 yards in 85.
  From Quiz: Lions
16 In what year did the Detroit Lions win their 2nd NFL Championship?
Answer: 1952

They finished the regular season at 9-3. They were tied with the LA Rams for the best record. They won the tiebreaker game, 31-21. They then stunned the Cleveland Browns 17-7 in Cleveland to win the championship.
  From Quiz: The Detroit Lions
17 What year did the Lions win their first NFL Championship?
Answer: 1935

The Lions defeated the New York Giants 26-7 at the University of Detroit Stadium in Detroit Michigan under quarterback Dutch Clark.
  From Quiz: All About the Lions
18 This linebacker, out of Texas A&M, was drafted by the Lions as the 17th overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft. Unfortunately, his promising career was cut short when he suffered a spinal cord contusion while making a tackle in only his 32nd game.
Answer: Reggie Brown

Brown lay motionless for 17 minutes and lost consciousness after the hit. Emergency surgery saved him from a life in a wheelchair. Brown later was mobile and worked for a car dealership group in Dallas, Texas.
    Your options: [ Richard Jordan ] [ Reggie Brown ] [ Antonio London ] [ Scott Kowalkowski ]
  From Quiz: Curse of the Detroit Lions
19 Who wore jersey number 4 during the 1993 season?
Answer: Jason Hanson

Jason was drafted 56th overall in the 1992 NFL Draft. Hanson kicked 34 field goals during his second NFL season. Jason also made the Pro Bowl in 1997 and 1999.
  From Quiz: Detroit Lions Jersey Numbers
20 What well known song by the rock group Queen was the unofficial Lions theme song when the team started the 1980 season by winning its first four games?
Answer: Another One Bites the Dust

Unfortunately for Lions fans, the celebration started too soon. The Lions went 5-7 over their last 12 games that year and failed to make the playoffs. Good thing they didn't choose "We Are the Champions"!
  From Quiz: Damaged Pride of Lions
21 Between 1987 and 1998: who was the first Lions player to rush for 100 yards in an NFL regular season game, other than Barry Sanders?
Answer: Derrick Moore

This was a tough one. Derrick Moore did this with 107 yards rushing against Phoenix in December of 1993. Ironically, Eric Lynch rushed for 115 yards on 30 attempts against Green Bay, but after Moore's feat.
  From Quiz: Lions
22 In 1940, the Lions defense was the star of the game against Chicago, virtually shutting down their opponents offence. How many yards of offence did the Lions allow in that game?
Answer: 14

In 1940 the Lions defense held the Chicago Cardinals to a mere 14 yards of total offense.
  From Quiz: For Lions Fans
23 How many touchdowns did Lions great Barry Sanders score in his career?
Answer: 109

Barry Sanders, the Lions' career leading rusher when he retired, scored 99 rushing touchdowns as well as 10 touchdowns from pass receptions before abruptly retiring from football in 1999.
  From Quiz: The Detroit Lions
24 This Detroit Lions wide receiver suffered a heart attack on the field in 1971 on a 4th quarter play against the Chicago Bears. He died less than two hours later.
Answer: Chuck Hughes

Hughes was never touched on the play and most everybody thought he was faking an injury to stop the clock. Bear legend Dick Butkus realized what had happened and frantically motioned for help. Hughes' number 85 was retired in his honor.
    Your options: [ Charlie Sanders ] [ Chuck Hughes ] [ Ron Jessie ] [ Earl McCullouch ]
  From Quiz: Curse of the Detroit Lions
25 In 1994, jersey number 54 was worn by whom?
Answer: Chris Spielman

Chris was drafted 29th overall by the Detroit Lions in the 1988 NFL Draft. He played for the Lions from 1988-1995, and then played two years for Buffalo and one for Cleveland. Spielman finished his career with 1,138 tackles as a Detroit Lion. Chris became a broadcaster for ESPN in 2001.
  From Quiz: Detroit Lions Jersey Numbers
26 Who was the only Lions quarterback to pass for 300 yards in a game during the entire 1994 season?
Answer: Dave Krieg

Krieg passed for 351 yards against Buffalo in 1994, the first Lions QB to pass for 300 yards in a game since Erik Kramer's 304 yards in 1992.
  From Quiz: Lions
27 What Lions receiver collapsed and later died in a 1971 game against the Bears?
Answer: Chuck Hughes

Chuck Hughes' jersey, #85, is now retired and hangs with the best in Detroit history.
  From Quiz: For Lions Fans
28 When did the Detroit Lions play their first Thanksgiving Day game?
Answer: November 29, 1934

The Detroit Lions have been the "home" team on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1934. There was one exception, between 1939-1944 the series was interupted by World War II. The Lions lost the first Thanksgiving Day game to the Chicago Bears 19-16.
  From Quiz: The Detroit Lions
29 What is the name of the player who has been blamed for putting the curse on the Lions in the 1950s?
Answer: Bobby Layne

Bobby Layne was the quarterback for the Lions in the 1950s. He led the team to their 4 championship appearances that included 3 wins. When he was traded to the Steelers in 1958, he supposedly said the Lions wouldn't win for 50 years. That has been called the curse of Bobby Layne. I'm sure the Detroit faithful are optimistic that the 50 years are up.
  From Quiz: All About the Lions
30 Jersey number 34 was worn by which Detroit Lion during the 2004 season?
Answer: Kevin Jones

"KJ" was drafted 30th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech. Kevin was only the third running back in Detroit Lions history to rush for over 1,000 yards during his rookie season.
    Your options: [ Shawn Bryson ] [ Kevin Jones ] [ Aveion Cason ] [ Brian Calhoun ]
  From Quiz: Detroit Lions Jersey Numbers
31 The Lions did not win a playoff game during the 1980s. How many did they lose?
Answer: 2

The Lions lost in the opening round of the 1982 playoffs to the Redskins 31-7. They lost in the opening round the following season to the San Francisco 49ers 24-23.
  From Quiz: Damaged Pride of Lions
32 How many times in his career did Barry Sanders have more than 100 yards receiving in a game?
Answer: 2

Barry had 135 yards receiving against the Kansas City in 1990 and 102 yards receiving against Tampa Bay in 1997.
  From Quiz: Lions
33 Barry Sanders and Billy Sims were two of the best running backs in Lions history, and they have the same initials, but what else do these two men have in common?
Answer: They both wore #20

Billy Sims led the Lions in rushing from 1980 to 1984. His best season came in '81 where he totaled 1,437 yards averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He also found pay dirt 13 times that season. Barry led the Lions from 1989 to 1998, also leading the NFL in 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. His best season came in 1997 where he racked up 2,053 yards and averaged an amazing 6.1 yards per carry.
  From Quiz: For Lions Fans
34 What famous Detroit Lions quarterback, when traded from Detroit, stated the Lions "would not win for 50 years"?
Answer: Bobby Layne

Known as the Bobby Layne Curse. Bobby was traded to the Steelers in 1958. He played in nine seasons for the Lions.
  From Quiz: The Detroit Lions
35 What Motown singer tried out for the Lions in 1970?
Answer: Marvin Gaye

After the death of his duet partner Tammi Terrell, Marvin added some pounds and trained for his team tryout. He was cut early but remained close to some of the players. A couple of them sang background vocals on his 1971 hit, "What's Going On".
  From Quiz: All About the Lions
36 The Lions had one playoff win in 30 seasons of the Super Bowl era. Who has been the owner of the team for that entire stretch?
Answer: William Clay Ford

Ford purchased the team in 1964.
  From Quiz: Curse of the Detroit Lions
37 Who wore jersey number 92 during the 2001 season?
Answer: Shaun Rogers

"Big Baby" was drafted 62nd overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He was voted to the NFL Pro Bowl in both 2004 and 2005. Shaun was suspended for four games during the 2006 season for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy.
  From Quiz: Detroit Lions Jersey Numbers
38 What team beat the Lions in the first round of the 1999 playoffs?
Answer: Washington Redskins

The Redskins beat the Lions 27-13 in Washington. The first NFL playoff game I ever attended. The Lions had made the playoffs with an 8-8 record and trailed at halftime 27-0.
  From Quiz: Damaged Pride of Lions
39 Jeff Chadwick had five 100 yard receiving games in his career with the Lions, in what year did he have 4 of those games?
Answer: 1986

By far Chadwick's most productive season, he had 100 yard games versus the Buccaneers (106), Bengals (100), Eagles (139) and Packers (121). His other 100 yard game came in 1985 against the Packers (112).
  From Quiz: Lions
40 Which Detroit recieving duo became the first in NFL history to finish the season with 100+ catches each?
Answer: Herman Moore & Brett Perriman

In 1995, Herman Moore grabbed 123 passes while the number two option Brett Periman caught 108 passes. The duo was 6 catches away from repeating this feat in 1996 when Moore had 106 receptions and Perriman had a still impressive, 94 catches.
    Your options: [ Herman Moore & Johnnie Morton ] [ Herman Moore & Brett Perriman ] [ Johnnie Morton & Germane Crowell ] [ David Hill & Freddie Scott ]
  From Quiz: For Lions Fans
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