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List of Detroit Lions Pro Bowl selections

Barry Sanders sitting at a table.
Joe Schmidt running in his Pittsburgh Panthers football uniform with no helmet on and his mouth open.
Barry Sanders (top) and Joe Schmidt (bottom) jointly hold the team record for most Pro Bowl selections, with 10 each.[1] Sanders, a running back, was selected to the Pro Bowl 10 consecutive times, being chosen every season that he played in the NFL.[2] Schmidt, a linebacker, was also selected to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls during the 1950s and 1960s.[3] Both players were selected to the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.[4][5]

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC).[6] The franchise was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans and joined the NFL on July 12, 1930.[7] After being purchased by George A. Richards in 1934, the franchise was relocated to Detroit and renamed to the Detroit Lions in reference to the city's Major League Baseball franchise, the Detroit Tigers.[8][9] The team plays its home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.[10]

Starting with the 1938 NFL season, the NFL instituted an All-Star Game that pitted the league's championship team against a team made up of the best players from the remaining teams.[11] Five of these exhibition games were played, with the last occurring after the 1942 NFL season before the NFL reduced the number of teams and games in the season due to players serving in World War II.[12][13] The first official Pro Bowl occurred in 1951 following the 1950 NFL season.[14] From the 1950 season until the 1969 season, the exhibition game was played between teams representing the Eastern and Western Conferences of the NFL.[15] After the American Football League (AFL) merged with the NFL in 1970, the game was played between teams representing the NFC and the American Football Conference (AFC). The conference team format remained until 2014 when the NFL shifted to a fantasy football format with teams selected by captains from the full pool of Pro Bowl selectees. This format only lasted for three seasons before it reverted back to the conference team format from the 2016 to 2021 NFL seasons;[14] this period included the cancellation of the 2021 Pro Bowl due to the COVID-19 pandemic (teams were still selected and players were still recognized as Pro Bowl selectees).[16] Starting with the 2023 Pro Bowl after the 2022 NFL season, the NFL again changed the format; instead of playing an exhibition game, the Pro Bowl was converted to series of skill competitions that culminated in a non-contact flag football game.[17]

Pro Bowl selections are made by a cumulative vote by three groups that hold equal weight: coaches, players, and fans.[14] Based on the vote results, each team is filled out based on generic offense, defense, and special teams.[18] Before the institution of the Pro Bowl Games in 2023, the players with the most votes were named starters, while the remainder of the selectees were reserves.[19] If a Pro Bowl selectee is unable to participate in the Pro Bowl, either for health reasons or the fact they are playing in the Super Bowl right after the Pro Bowl, alternates are named in the players' place. These players are still considered official Pro Bowl selectees.[20] The coaching staffs for each team have been selected in various ways, with the common option being the coaching staffs of the team with the best record in each conference who were not going to the Super Bowl given the honors.[21] With the onset of the Pro Bowl Games, the NFL now selects the coaching staffs for the flag football game.[22] Players for each team are paid for their participation, with a higher sum going to the winning team.[23] Throughout the life of the Pro Bowl, awards have been given out to recognize the best player or players of the game. From 2016 to 2022, an award was given to an offensive and defensive most valuable player (MVP).[12]

The Lions have had representatives at the Pro Bowl every year since 1950 except for nine seasons. The Lions first selections in the inaugural Pro Bowl in 1951 were Cloyce Box, Lou Creekmur, Don Doll, Thurman McGraw, and Doak Walker.[24] Four Lions have been given a Pro Bowl MVP award.[12] Linebacker Joe Schmidt and running back Barry Sanders are tied for the team record for most Pro Bowl selections with 10, while Yale Lary (nine selections), and Lou Creekmur (eight selections) round out the top four.[1] Sanders was the first player to play at least 10 seasons in the NFL and be selected to the Pro Bowl in each season they played.[25] The most recent Pro Bowl selections for the Lions were Jahmyr Gibbs, Aidan Hutchinson, Sam LaPorta, Frank Ragnow, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Penei Sewell, and Amon-Ra St. Brown for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.[26]

  1. ^ a b "Detroit Lions All-Pros and Pro Bowlers". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  2. ^ "Barry Sanders Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  3. ^ "Joe Schmidt Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  4. ^ Battista, Judy (November 22, 2019). "NFL's All-Time Team: Jim Brown tops RBs; Bill Belichick a coach". National Football League. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Battista, Judy (November 29, 2019). "NFL's All-Time Team: Lawrence Taylor headlines defensive front". National Football League. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  6. ^ Astbury, Matt (April 12, 2023). "Why are there divisions and conferences in the NFL? How do they work?". DAZN. Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  7. ^ "Team Facts". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  8. ^ "Detroit Lions". National Football League. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "How did your NFL team gets its name? Origins explained for all 32". ESPN. February 2, 2022. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  10. ^ Astbury, Matt (January 15, 2024). "Detroit Lions stadium: What is Ford Field's capacity and does it have a roof?". DAZN. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  11. ^ "Chronology of Football (1869–1939)". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "NFL Pro Bowl History". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  13. ^ "Chronology of Football (1940–1959)". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "NFL Pro Bowl Fast Facts". CNN. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  15. ^ Peterseim, Locke (February 2, 2008). "Why the Pro Bowl went Hawaii". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  16. ^ "NFL to reimagine 2021 Pro Bowl; '22 Pro Bowl awarded to Las Vegas". National Football League. October 14, 2020. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  17. ^ "NFL announces 'The Pro Bowl Games' to replace tackle game with flag football, skills competitions". National Football League. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  18. ^ "2024 Pro Bowl Games Vote Now Open". National Football League (Press release). November 27, 2023. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  19. ^ Camenker, Jacob (February 5, 2022). "NFL Pro Bowl rosters 2022: Here's a full list of selections, alternates, coaches for AFC & NFC teams". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Treacy, Dan (January 4, 2024). "NFL Pro Bowl rosters 2024: Updated list of selections, alternates, coaches for AFC & NFC teams". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  21. ^ Wyche, Steve (December 28, 2009). "Pro Bowl selections, like game itself, will have new wrinkles". National Football League. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2010.
  22. ^ "AFC and NFC Coaching Staffs Announced for 2023 Pro Bowl Games". National Football League (Press release). December 12, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  23. ^ Bink, Addy (February 1, 2023). "How much do NFL Pro Bowl players get paid?". WHTM-TV. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  24. ^ "1950 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  25. ^ Capurso, Tim (March 15, 2024). "Retired Aaron Donald Matched Remarkable Barry Sanders Record in NFL Career". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  26. ^ "2023 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.

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