313 Legends

Born in Nova Scotia and raised in Southern California, Detroit Lions kicker Eddie Murray’s path to becoming a football star was not foreordained – yet it happened nonetheless.

Best known for his calm and collected personality and razor-sharp consistency under pressure, Murray demonstrated during his time with the Lions’ special teams that sometimes the most reliable legends do not need to make a lot of noise to be noticed – they simply have to remain strong and split the uprights.

Best known for his flashy interceptions, charismatic personality, and headlining the golden era of Detroit football both on and off the field, Lem Barney did more than just shut down receivers–he lit up the city with a natural swagger and shine that few of his era could match.

Born and raised in Detroit, Lem Barney came to Detroit from Jackson State University, a small Historically Black College or University in Mississippi, where he made a name for himself as a two-way player with a natural gift for making quarterbacks stew in regret.

Here was a man who was explosive, smooth, and wickedly smart, so much so that by the time the Lions drafted him in the second round in 1967, it didn’t take long before he was making major waves.

From his very first moment on the field with them, he brought the city to its knees by picking off Bart Starr, an incident that would set the entire tone of his career.

From there, he topped off his rookie season with 10 interceptions and went on to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Nicknamed “The Mechanical Man” for his consistency, reliability, and quiet excellence, six-time All-Star, 1937 American League MVP, and cornerstone of the Detroit Tigers, Charlie Gehringer, remains one of baseball’s greatest second basemen.

Raised in rural Michigan on a farm where hard work and humility shaped his character, Charlie’s baseball ability showed early, which eventually led to him being spotted by Detroit Tigers scout Eddie Krajnik while playing college ball at the University of Michigan in 1924.

Little did Gehringer know, that would be the moment that would catapult him into becoming a key player in Detroit’s infield.

Nicknamed “The Silver Fox” for his prematurely gray hair, Jim Northrup is fondly remembered by Detroit baseball fans for his grand slams, timely hits, and clutch performances that helped define one of the most celebrated teams in franchise history.

Born into humble beginnings in Breckenridge, Michigan, Northrup was raised on hard work, going on to excel in baseball, basketball and track at Alma College, his athleticism and versatility attracting Detroit Tigers scouts in 1961 and leading to his Major League debut a few years later.

One of the most talented big men of his generation, Chris Webber is remembered as the leader of the University of Michigan’s iconic Fab Five, a five-time NBA All-Star, and as a Hall of Famer.

Chris’ blend of size, skill, and passing vision made him an icon in his glory days, while his Detroit roots shaped both his identity and his drive.

He’s a man that was brought up playing basketball in Detroit, including at Detroit Country Day school, where he played high school ball and helped lead the team to winning three state championships ahead of him being awarded National High School Player of the Year in 1991.

Herman Moore was born in Virginia and played at the University of Virginia, where his size, speed and soft hands made him a dominant college receiver.

In 1990, he received All-American honors for his receiving yard and touchdown record, which would lead to the Detroit Lions selecting him 10th overall in the 1991 NFL Draft.

Moore was something of a quiet rookie as he adjusted to the NFL and its demands, but he soon became an important weapon for the Lions’ offense.

By 1992, he was a primary passer, using his impressive 6’4 frame and quickness to create mismatches with defenders that would eventually lead to him being considered one of the leagues most fearsome receivers by the mid-1990s.

In his four straight Pro Bowl selections and three straight All-Pro seasons from 1994 to 1997, he averaged over 100 receptions and 1,300 yards per season and by 1995 he had 123 receptions under his belt, his highest single-season NFL record and one of his best single seasons in league history, with 1,686 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

Moore could make contested catches, stretch the field, and rule the red zone – long before Calvin Johnson, aka “Megatron,” took the mantle from Matthew Stafford.

Willie Horton’s career is defined not only by his 21 years in Major League Baseball, but by his deep connection to Detroit’s people—both on and off the field.

A man of humble beginnings, Horton was raised in a coal mine in Arno, Virginia, and moved with his family to Detroit during the Great Migration, playing baseball on sandlots and at Northwestern High School as a teen with tremendous hitting power that would go on to impress many professional scouts.

Mickey Lolich grew up in Portland, Oregon, in an area plagued by poverty and blight.

He had a love of baseball from an early age and was a right-handed thrower until an accident with a tricycle saw him make the shift to left-handed throwing.

Little did he know. this fateful turn of events would be what would later go on to launch his career.

Benny Frey grew up in rural Missouri, where baseball culture was just as common as farming and the hard work that accompanies it.

He had great upper body strength from a young age and was already pitching on regional semipro teams come his late teens – a favorite among scouts who were impressed by his ability to throw a fastball.

In fact, in 1920, this would be the exact strength that would help Benny go from the minors to the majors.

Tommy Hearnes Jr. (son of Detroit boxing great Thomas “Hitman” Hearns) isn’t just another boxing heir benefitting from his father’s notoriety.

He is an accomplished businessman that has more than asserted his own identity both in the ring and outside of it— one of a budding fighter, digital creator, and innovator in the boxing promotion space.

Donny Lalonde is an accomplished boxer known for his intense punching power, charisma, and fearless climb into the ring against some of the biggest names in boxing.
Though born in Winnipeg, he sharpened his craft in Detroit, which forever linked his iconic career with the Metro’s storied boxing culture.

Milt Plum was a quarterback at Penn State University who could pass a ball unlike any other, a skill that led to him being picked in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft in 1957 by the Cleveland Browns.

Although he was far from flashy, Plum would go on to become a reliable signal-caller in Detroit’s football scene during a pivotal transitional era for the Detroit Lions after being traded to them in 1962 – one that bridged the gap between the team’s championship pedigree of the 1950s and the struggles they’d go on to face in the late 1960s.

As a two-time leading league passer, Plum was also rewarded with a high completion percentage and excellent defense.

He brought the Lions stability as quarterback, something the franchise would need as it moved out of its 1950s glory years into a new decade.

In short, Plum brought a history of being accurate and reliable.

The mid-1960s Lions lacked the star power of earlier seasons, but Plum provided leadership and veteran experience.

He sometimes played in the backfield alongside Alex Karras and other times alongside Joe Schmidt on defense, helping to prop up a team that was always competitive…even when they weren’t necessarily championship caliber.

Steve McCatty never played for the Tigers, yet his strong Detroit roots nonetheless helped shaped the baseball journey of workhorse on the mound.

As with many 1960s Detroit kids, McCatty grew up rough and tough and was raised on the city’s baseball culture, admiring Tigers of the day like Al Kaline, Billy Horton, and Mickey Lolich while playing on local diamonds long before he was ever recruited to play college baseball.

From there, McCatty made the move out west and continued on to the Oakland Athletics for his Major League debut in 1977, which marked the beginning of a turbulent but exciting period in both his life and baseball as a whole.

It was a time that saw him break out of his shell as a pitcher under the brash guidance of Athletics manager Billy Martin, whose philosophy became lovingly referred to as “Billy Ball.”

Thanks to Martin, McCatty finished the 1981 season with 14 wins, but that was only the first chapter to a very prolific journey.

McCatty threw more than 220 innings in 22 starts in those early days, bringing a workload few could match even today – one that got him nominated second place in the Cy Young Award voting.

Eddie Murray got his start in soccer before later transitioning to football, where his powerful, accurate leg set him apart from the competition.

He attended Tulane University after growing up in Nova Scotia, Canada, and entered his very first season with the Detroit Lions in the 7th round of the 1980 NFL Draft.

That same year, he appeared in the Pro Bowl as a rookie, marking the start of a long, successful career.

From 1980 to 1991, Murray was a regular kicker for the Detroit Lions, one who quickly became highly recognized for delivering solid performances in close games and always remaining calm under pressure.

He was often the difference maker in a time when the Lions and many other NFL teams played by razor-thin margins.

In 1989, he was named First-Team All-Pro.

Then, in 1992, he left Detroit as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, a record that would follow him for years to come.

In a tough city in an even tougher time period, American baseball right fielder, broadcaster, and ambassador Al Kaline was a bright light during dark times.

He wasn’t flashy.

He wasn’t loud.

He didn’t have to be.

For over 67 years, Al Kaline crafted a legacy Detroit baseball fans have never gotten, bringing the Detroit Tigers consistency during a time when everything else was rapidly changing.

Known as “the boy who skipped the minors” (something almost entirely unheard of at the time), Kaline entered Detroit in 1953 as an outsider from Baltimore high school — a rail thin 18-year-old with a golden arm who debuted in the majors just days after graduating.

Not even two years later, he was a household name, and in 1955, at just 20 years old, he won a batting title, hitting .340 against Ted Williams.

It was the moment that marked the start of an era of excellence.