Joe Schmidt

Lore & Background

Schmidt was born in Pittsburgh, grew up in Brentwood, and played college football at the University of Pittsburgh from 1950 to 1952. He was a first-team All-American in 1952 and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round of the 1953 NFL draft and became team captain in 1956, a role he held for nine years. He served as the Lions' head coach from 1967 to 1972, compiling a 43–34–7 record with second-place finishes from 1969 to 1972.

Reader's Guide

Schmidt's playing career spanned 13 seasons with the Lions. He was a key defensive player on championship teams in 1953 and 1957. He missed games due to shoulder injuries in 1960, 1963, and 1964. He was fined $2,000 in 1963 for placing a $50 bet on the 1962 NFL Championship Game. After retiring as a player, he worked as a manufacturer's representative in the automobile industry in Detroit.

Did You Know?

• Schmidt was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press, United Press, Newspaper Enterprise Association, or The Sporting News each year from 1956 to 1963, but not in 1954 or 1955.
• Schmidt gave a motivational speech before the 1952 Notre Dame game that helped Pitt defeat the heavily favored Irish, though he suffered a concussion and hemorrhage in that game.
• He tied an NFL record with eight fumble recoveries in 1955.