PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
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exeCutives & CoaChing<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
Media.<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
William Clay ford<br />
oWner and<br />
Chairman<br />
In an age where ownership changes and franchise moves in<br />
professional sports have become alarmingly commonplace, William<br />
Clay Ford continues to provide the <strong>Detroit</strong> <strong>Lions</strong> organization, its fans<br />
and the community with unwavering stability and sound leadership.<br />
His commitment to the franchise is imprinted on virtually every<br />
aspect of the organization. By combining one of the finest sports and<br />
entertainment venues, Ford Field, and a world-class headquarters and<br />
training environment with a strong management team, Mr. Ford has<br />
instilled the organization with the right mix of fuel that will power the<br />
further development of the entire <strong>Lions</strong> organization.<br />
The 2009 season signaled the beginning of a new era for <strong>Detroit</strong><br />
<strong>Lions</strong> football. Everything from the team’s management all the<br />
way down to the logo on the helmet changed with the mindset to<br />
improve this franchise and compete for championships. There were<br />
considerable changes to the organization starting with Mr. Ford’s<br />
promotion of Tom Lewand as team president and Martin Mayhew as<br />
general manager. Lewand oversees the direction of the organization,<br />
including business operations, and Mayhew is responsible for all<br />
football matters.<br />
Both set out to find the best coach for this team, and with<br />
Mr. Ford’s blessing and endorsement, did so when the team hired<br />
Jim Schwartz, who had served as defensive coordinator for many<br />
successful Tennessee Titans teams, as the <strong>Lions</strong>’ new head coach.<br />
The 2009 season also marked the first time in franchise history that<br />
the team began the season with a new general manager, new team<br />
president and new head coach.<br />
In just three years, with the vision Mr. Ford set forth, those changes<br />
are paying dividends in many ways. In 2011, the <strong>Lions</strong> returned to the<br />
playoffs for the first time since 1999, and they won 10 games for only<br />
the eighth time in franchise history and first since 1995. In fact, only<br />
two teams in <strong>Lions</strong>’ history have won more than 10 regular-season<br />
games (12 in 1991 and 11 in 1962).<br />
The <strong>Lions</strong> 5-0 start to the season was the franchise’s best start<br />
since 1956, and it was only the third 5-0 start in franchise history.<br />
That 5-0 start capped off a nine-game regular-season winning streak<br />
(final four games of 2010) for the <strong>Lions</strong>, the longest since 1953-54.<br />
Last season, Schwartz joined Buddy Parker (1951-53) as the only<br />
coaches in team history to improve the team’s record in each of their<br />
first three seasons leading the <strong>Lions</strong>.<br />
Team and individual record-breaking performances generated<br />
wins and much excitement in 2011. <strong>Detroit</strong> set new NFL records with<br />
four 13+-point comeback wins, three 17+-point comeback wins and<br />
back-to-back 20+-point comeback wins. A 24-point comeback at<br />
Dallas tied an NFL record for the biggest comeback by a road team.<br />
The <strong>Lions</strong> also produced much fire-power on offense throughout<br />
the year. It scored at least 45 points in three different games for<br />
only the second time in team history and first since 1952. A 45-point<br />
winning margin in Week 2 against Kansas City was the largest margin<br />
of victory for the <strong>Lions</strong> in a regular season game, and it tied the 1957<br />
Championship game for the team’s largest margin of victory ever. In<br />
a 45-10 win at Denver, the <strong>Lions</strong> tied the second-most points scored<br />
on the road in franchise history.<br />
On offense, the team set new standards for points scored (474),<br />
total yards (6,337) and net passing yards (4,814). Among the NFL’s<br />
leaders, it finished fourth in scoring, fifth in total offense and fourth<br />
in scoring. On defense, the <strong>Lions</strong> led the NFL with seven defensive<br />
touchdowns, which also tied an all-time single-season franchise best.<br />
Individually, QB Matthew Stafford completed the greatest season<br />
for a <strong>Lions</strong> quarterback in team history and one of the best all-time<br />
in NFL history. He set new team records in virtually every passing<br />
category, became the fifth passer in NFL history to eclipse 5,000 yards<br />
(5,038), and his 41 passing touchdowns tied for the seventh-most<br />
among League single-season leaders. All-Pro WR Calvin Johnson set a<br />
new franchise record for touchdown catches (16), and he accumulated<br />
the second-most receiving yards (1,681) in team history. He became<br />
the first player in NFL history to catch two touchdown passes in the<br />
season’s first four games. TE Brandon Pettigrew once again set new<br />
team single-season records for <strong>Lions</strong> tight ends in receptions (83)<br />
and receiving yards (777).<br />
Two players also surpassed two significant career milestones.<br />
K Jason Hanson became the first player in NFL history to play 300<br />
games for one team. He became the fourth player ever to record 2,000<br />
career points, and he became the first kicker ever in NFL history to<br />
make 50 50-yard field goals. Joining him in career milestones was T<br />
Jeff Backus who set a new team record with 176 consecutive starts.<br />
Performances in 2011 built upon the team’s progress it made from<br />
the previous year when it was one of the NFL’s most-improved teams<br />
and ended the season on a four-game win streak.<br />
Over the past three years, the <strong>Lions</strong> have upgraded and developed<br />
every position on the team. This progress has been forged with<br />
tremendous effort from the front office, a coaching staff that excels<br />
in game-planning and player development, and players who are<br />
combining ability and work ethic to ensure this team is moving in<br />
the right direction.<br />
The strong leadership team that Mr. Ford has formulated guides<br />
the franchise on and off the field with a plan that will elevate this<br />
team to new heights.<br />
On the football side, Mayhew has revamped the team’s player<br />
personnel and football operations in numerous ways and those<br />
efforts have resulted in successful drafts. In that time, Mayhew and<br />
the front office have worked diligently to improve the team’s roster<br />
utilizing every resource from free agency and trades to the League’s<br />
waiver wire.<br />
Mayhew has worked alongside Schwartz to find players based<br />
on their shared philosophy on the types of skills that are necessary<br />
to win in the NFL. To guide those players on the field, Schwartz has<br />
built a coaching staff that is working to maximize those talents and<br />
produce game strategies to complement the players’ abilities. For<br />
Schwartz, he leads with the philosophy that consistency with the<br />
coaching staff and the team schemes provides a competitive edge in<br />
the team’s development.<br />
After the playoff-clinching win vs. San Diego on Christmas Eve,<br />
Schwartz and WR Nate Burleson presented a game ball in the locker<br />
room to Mr. Ford for his overwhelming support, dedication and<br />
commitment to the team.<br />
“Last year was quite an important step for this organization and<br />
reaching the playoffs signifies that we are moving forward the right<br />
way,” said Mr. Ford. “You can see where we are headed, and winning<br />
last year provided tangible evidence to our progress.<br />
“To see how our team came together was quite exciting, and it<br />
was thrilling to see how passionate and supportive our fans were,<br />
especially at Ford Field. I don’t think there is a better home-field<br />
advantage in all of sports than Ford Field. The Bears game on Monday<br />
Night was a phenomenal site with how engaged our fans were, and<br />
we were able to share so many other great moments, like clinching<br />
a playoff berth, with them as well.<br />
“I firmly believe this organization is prepared to compete among<br />
the League’s best. Coach Schwartz continues to move us in the right<br />
direction on the field. Consistency we’ve had in our organization,<br />
especially on our coaching staff, positively impacts our team. Martin<br />
has done a great job with the player personnel department, adding<br />
talent any way he can. And Tom has positioned our team’s business<br />
to fully complement our ability to win.<br />
“We all know it was important to achieve what we did last year,<br />
but it was not our end goal. Our priority is to always focus on winning<br />
a Super Bowl. That’s what’s most important for our organization, our<br />
family and our fans.<br />
On the business side, Lewand continues to forge ahead with a<br />
strategic approach to make sure every element off the field impacts<br />
the team on the field. Whether it is through revenue streams generated<br />
at Ford Field, effective management of player contracts, improvement<br />
of the club’s financial processes or building stronger relationships<br />
with fans and business partners, Lewand ensures that Mr. Ford’s<br />
vision to become one of the best franchises in professional sports<br />
is being realized.<br />
As it’s always been with Mr. Ford, the mission is for the <strong>Detroit</strong>