1997 Detroit Lions Roster
National Football League (NFL)
Team Record: 9-7
Finishing 3rd in the NFL's Central Division of the National Football Conference
Postseason: 0-1 Lost Wild Card
Coach: Bobby Ross (9-7)
Location: Detroit, Michigan
1997 Detroit Lions StatisticsTeam Record: 9-7
Finishing 3rd in the NFL's Central Division of the National Football Conference
Postseason: 0-1 Lost Wild Card
Coach: Bobby Ross (9-7)
Location: Detroit, Michigan
1997 Detroit Lions Results
The Detroit Lions of the National Football League ended the 1997 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses, finishing third in the NFL's Central Division of the National Football Conference. The team compiled a postseason mark of 0-1.
The Lions piled up points with 379 points, and the defense yielded 306. Barry Sanders spearheaded the running game, rushing for a 2,053 yards for Detroit.
Scott Mitchell directed the offense, throwing for 3,484 yards. Herman Moore hauled in 104 balls for 1,293 yards, while Johnnie Morton contributed to the receiving game also.
Mark Carrier picked off 5 opponent throws. Robert Porcher topped pass rushers with 12.5 quarterback sacks.
Bobby Ross coached the team. The 1997 Detroit Lions lost in the Wild Card.
Click on column headings to sort.
| # | Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | College | Hometown | GP | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Kevin Abrams | DB | February 28, 1974 | 5'8" | 175 | Syracuse | Tampa, FL USA | 15 | 4 |
| 35 | Robert Bailey | DB | September 3, 1968 | 5'9" | 176 | Miami (FL) | , Barbados | 15 | 0 |
| 12 | Matt Blundin | QB | March 7, 1969 | 6'3" | 233 | Virginia | Darby, PA USA | 1 | 0 |
| 96 | Shane Bonham | DT | October 18, 1970 | 6'2" | 272 | Air Force | Fairbanks, AK USA | 16 | 0 |
| 57 | Stephen Boyd | MLB | August 22, 1972 | 6'0" | 247 | Boston Col. | Valley Stream, NY USA | 16 | 16 |
| 80 | Tommie Boyd | WR | December 21, 1971 | 6'0" | 195 | Toledo | Lansing, MI USA | 16 | 1 |
| 59 | Reggie Brown | RLB | September 28, 1974 | 6'2" | 241 | Texas A&M | Austin, TX USA | 16 | 16 |
| 27 | Mark Carrier | FS | April 28, 1968 | 6'1" | 192 | USC | Lake Charles, LA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 81 | Pete Chryplewicz | TE | April 27, 1974 | 6'5" | 253 | Notre Dame | Detroit, MI USA | 10 | 0 |
| 29 | Harry Colon | DB | February 14, 1969 | 6'0" | 203 | Missouri | Kansas City, KS USA | 8 | 4 |
| 77 | Mike Compton | LG | September 18, 1970 | 6'6" | 310 | West Virginia | Richlands, VA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 94 | Luther Elliss | RDT | March 22, 1973 | 6'5" | 318 | Utah | Mancos, CO USA | 16 | 16 |
| 53 | Kevin Glover | C | June 17, 1963 | 6'2" | 278 | Maryland | Washington, DC USA | 16 | 16 |
| 50 | Ben Hanks | LB | July 31, 1971 | 6'2" | 223 | Florida | Miami, FL USA | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | Jason Hanson | K | June 17, 1970 | 5'11" | 182 | Washington St. | Spokane, WA USA | 16 | 0 |
| 64 | Jeff Hartings | RG | September 7, 1972 | 6'3" | 301 | Penn St. | St. Henry, OH USA | 16 | 16 |
| 66 | Hessley Hempstead | G | January 29, 1972 | 6'1" | 295 | Kansas | Upland, CA USA | 16 | 1 |
| 82 | Kevin Hickman | TE | August 20, 1971 | 6'4" | 258 | Navy | Cherry Hill, NJ USA | 4 | 0 |
| 58 | George Jamison | LLB | September 30, 1962 | 6'1" | 232 | Cincinnati | Bridgeton, NJ USA | 16 | 10 |
| 25 | Greg Jeffries | DB | October 16, 1971 | 5'9" | 195 | Virginia | High Point, NC USA | 15 | 2 |
| 18 | John Jett | P | November 11, 1968 | 6'0" | 197 | East Carolina | Richmond, VA USA | 16 | 0 |
| 99 | Richard Jordan | LB | December 1, 1974 | 6'1" | 252 | Missouri Southern | Holdenville, OK USA | 10 | 0 |
| 67 | Travis Kirschke | DT-DE | September 6, 1974 | 6'3" | 298 | UCLA | Fullerton, CA USA | 3 | 0 |
| 52 | Scott Kowalkowski | LB | August 23, 1968 | 6'2" | 220 | Notre Dame | Farmington Hills, MI USA | 16 | 0 |
| 55 | Antonio London | LLB | April 14, 1971 | 6'2" | 238 | Alabama | Tullahoma, TN USA | 16 | 6 |
| 39 | Van Malone | DB | July 1, 1970 | 5'11" | 189 | Texas | Houston, TX USA | 8 | 4 |
| 83 | Kez McCorvey | WR | January 23, 1972 | 6'0" | 184 | Florida St. | Gautier, MS USA | 7 | 0 |
| 89 | Pete Metzelaars | TE | May 24, 1960 | 6'7" | 254 | Wabash | Three Rivers, MI USA | 16 | 6 |
| 33 | Glyn Milburn | KR | February 19, 1971 | 5'8" | 177 | Oklahoma | Santa Monica, CA USA | 16 | 1 |
| 19 | Scott Mitchell | QB | January 2, 1968 | 6'6" | 240 | Utah | Salt Lake City, UT USA | 16 | 16 |
| 84 | Herman Moore | WR | October 20, 1969 | 6'4" | 210 | Virginia | Danville, VA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 87 | Johnnie Morton | WR | October 7, 1971 | 6'0" | 190 | USC | Inglewood, CA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 91 | Robert Porcher | LDE | July 30, 1969 | 6'3" | 266 | South Carolina St. | Wando, SC USA | 16 | 16 |
| 38 | Daryl Porter | DB | January 16, 1974 | 5'9" | 188 | Boston Col. | Fort Lauderdale, FL USA | 7 | 0 |
| 75 | Tony Ramirez | T | January 26, 1973 | 6'6" | 296 | Northern Colorado | Lincoln, NE USA | 2 | 0 |
| 31 | Corey Raymond | RCB | July 28, 1969 | 5'11" | 185 | LSU | New Iberia, LA USA | 13 | 12 |
| 14 | Frank Reich | QB | December 4, 1961 | 6'4" | 210 | Maryland | Freeport, NY USA | 6 | 0 |
| 28 | Ron Rice | SS | November 9, 1972 | 6'1" | 216 | East. Michigan | Detroit, MI USA | 12 | 8 |
| 34 | Ron Rivers | RB | November 13, 1971 | 5'8" | 205 | Fresno St. | Elizabeth, NJ USA | 16 | 0 |
| 72 | Ray Roberts | LT | June 3, 1969 | 6'6" | 315 | Virginia | Asheville, NC USA | 14 | 14 |
| 73 | Juan Roque | T | January 6, 1974 | 6'8" | 333 | Arizona St. | San Diego, CA USA | 13 | 1 |
| 54 | Matt Russell | LB | July 5, 1973 | 6'2" | 245 | Colorado | Tokyo, Japan | 14 | 0 |
| 20 | Barry Sanders | RB | July 16, 1968 | 5'8" | 203 | Oklahoma St. | Wichita, KS USA | 16 | 16 |
| 30 | Cory Schlesinger | FB | June 23, 1972 | 6'0" | 247 | Nebraska | Columbus, NE USA | 16 | 2 |
| 97 | Tracy Scroggins | RDE | September 11, 1969 | 6'3" | 273 | Tulsa | Checotah, OK USA | 15 | 6 |
| 62 | Tony Semple | G | December 20, 1970 | 6'5" | 286 | Memphis | Lincoln, IL USA | 16 | 1 |
| 86 | David Sloan | TE | June 8, 1972 | 6'6" | 260 | New Mexico | Fresno, CA USA | 14 | 12 |
| 92 | Marc Spindler | DE-NT-DT | November 28, 1969 | 6'5" | 290 | Pittsburgh | Scranton, PA USA | 10 | 0 |
| 42 | Ryan Stewart | DB | September 30, 1973 | 6'1" | 207 | Georgia Tech | Moncks Corner, SC USA | 8 | 0 |
| 82 | Eric Stocz | TE | May 25, 1974 | 6'4" | 258 | Westminster (PA) | Warren, OH USA | 6 | 0 |
| 71 | Larry Tharpe | RT | November 19, 1970 | 6'4" | 300 | Tennessee St. | Macon, GA USA | 16 | 15 |
| 44 | Tommy Vardell | FB | February 20, 1969 | 6'2" | 234 | Stanford | El Cajon, CA USA | 16 | 10 |
| 93 | Kerwin Waldroup | RDE | August 1, 1974 | 6'3" | 260 | Michigan | Chicago, IL USA | 11 | 11 |
| 95 | Mike Wells | LDT | January 16, 1971 | 6'3" | 310 | Iowa | Arnold, MO USA | 16 | 16 |
| 32 | Bryant Westbrook | LCB | December 19, 1974 | 6'0" | 199 | Texas | Charlotte, NC USA | 15 | 14 |
