Sports
Bobby Layne
1926–1986 · American football quarterback
Hard-living Texas quarterback who led the Lions to NFL championships in 1952 and 1953; his No. 22 is retired.
- Born
Santa Anna, Texas- Died
Lubbock, Texas
aged 59- Birth name
- Robert Lawrence Layne
- Detroit years
- 1950–1958
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
The Lions got Layne from the New York Bulldogs in 1950, and in Detroit he was reunited with his high school teammate and best friend from Dallas, halfback Doak Walker. Layne was not a classic passer, but he was a fierce leader who seemed at his best when a game was on the line, and his swagger on and off the field made him a Detroit legend of the 1950s. He led the Lions to the 1952 title in Cleveland, and on December 27, 1953, at Briggs Stadium he drove the team down the field in the final minutes and threw the winning touchdown pass to Jim Doran for a 17–16 win over the Browns and a second straight championship. A broken leg late in 1957 kept him out of that year's title win. The Lions traded him to Pittsburgh early in the 1958 season, and a popular legend grew that he had cursed the franchise. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1967.
Highlights
- NFL champion with the Lions in 1952 and 1953
- Winning touchdown drive in the 1953 title game at Briggs Stadium
- Played for the Lions 1950–1958
- No. 22 retired by the Lions
- Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1967
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1950–1958
Tiger Stadium
Demolished · 1912–1999
The Lions' home in his years; he won the 1953 championship game here. Demolished in 2008–2009; the site is now The Corner Ballpark.