1963 Lions: So Close And Yet So Far
In 1962, the Detroit Lions had their best season since winning the NFL Championship in 1957. Coming within a hair of winning the NFL
Western Division, with an 11-3 record and a second place finish, they were known for handing the champion Green Bay Packers their only loss, a
26-14 shellacking on Thanksgiving Day (Lions fans STILL talk about that game). Moreover, they lost in a heartbreaker to the same Packers team earlier in the season (9-7), a game which, had they won, would have given them the division. That game was the subject of Vince Lombardi’s well-known autobiography Run to Daylight.
RetroCards now presents our supplement to the 1963 set which reviews this memorable Lions season. Superstars and holdovers from the 1957 Championship team include Darris McCord, Jim Martin, Sam Williams, Wayne Walker, Terry Barr and Gary Lowe. Bright young newcomers who would help shape the future of the Lions franchise include Pat Studstill, Tom Watkins, Bruce Maher, Tom Hall and future Hall-of-Famers Dick LeBeau and Alex Karras, who like Paul Hornung, was suspended for the 1963 season for gambling and hence, did not have a card. Even little known linemen, but known to Lions historians, are included such as Bob Scholtz, Dan LaRose, Bob Whitlow, John Gonzaga and John Lomakoski.
This set is an attractive and informative commemoration of one of the truly bright spots in the history of the Detroit Lions. So, whether you are a die-hard fan of the silver and blue, an aficionado of the Lombardi tome that recalls that 9-7 game in 1962, or a true historian of the classic NFL, this set if for you!
20-card set: Bob Scholtz, Dan LaRose, Bob Whitlow, John Gonzaga, John Lomakoski, Darris McCord, Jim Martin, Sam Williams, Gary Lowe, Ken Webb, Paul Ward, Wayne Walker, Dick Compton, Terry Barr, Pat Studstill, Tom Watkins, Bruce Maher, Tom Hall, Dick LeBeau, and Alex Karras. Order yours here.