By Darin The First Roar
Before the legendary championships of the 1950s, the Detroit Lions cemented their place in the city’s sporting history with a decisive, defining victory. On a cold, nasty Sunday, December 15, 1935, at the University of Detroit Stadium, the Lions hosted the New York Giants in the NFL Championship. This was only the Lions’ second season in Detroit, having moved from Portsmouth, Ohio, where they were the Spartans and lost the 1932 championship (in a game Hall of Famer Dutch Clark missed due to college coaching duties). Now, Clark was back and ready to lead the charge. Against the high-profile Giants, the weather was the great equalizer, turning the contest into a brutal battle won not by air yards but by sheer grit on the muddy ground. This game would not only secure the franchise’s first NFL title but also establish a lasting legacy for the burgeoning “City of Champions.”
Enjoy this video we put together with Lion Historian Randy Snow in 2025 from the World of Football podcast.
The Competitive West and the Road to Detroit
The 1935 Detroit Lions, coached by Potsy Clark (who came along from the Portsmouth Spartans), battled through one of the NFL’s toughest early divisions. The Western Division featured four teams with winning records, including the Green Bay Packers, who finished 8-4. However, due to the league’s formula that disregarded ties in winning percentage calculations, the Lions’ 7-3-1 record allowed them to narrowly edge out the Packers and claim the division crown.
This successful season followed a near-championship run in 1934, the team’s first year in Detroit, where they started 10-0 but lost their final three games, including the inaugural Thanksgiving matchup in Detroit against the Chicago Bears. The 1935 squad showed greater late-season resilience, even earning revenge on George Halas’s Bears with their first Thanksgiving Day win in Detroit, 14-2. This momentum carried them into the title game, where approximately 12,000 to 15,000 fans packed the University of Detroit Stadium, eager to witness history.
Ground Game Dominance in the Sleet
The weather on December 15th was a nightmare for passers but a dream for Detroit’s physical rushing attack—it was cold, rainy, and sleeting. Quarterback Dutch Clark, a true multi-threat player who also kicked and played defensive back, completed just 2 of 5 passes for 51 yards all day. But the ground game was unstoppable.
The Lions quickly took control, jumping out to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter. Fullback Ace Gutowsky scored first on a 2-yard run (extra point by Glenn Presnell), followed by an electrifying 40-yard touchdown run by Dutch Clark himself. Although the Giants, led by quarterback Ed Danowski, managed to cut the lead to 13-7 in the second quarter on a 42-yard touchdown pass to Ken Strong, the Lions defense locked down the remainder of the game.
The fourth quarter was all Detroit. Wide receiver Ernie Cadell rushed for a 4-yard touchdown, and then fullback Buddy Parker sealed the victory with another 4-yard plunge. With four total rushing touchdowns, the Lions’ physical dominance translated into a decisive 26-7 victory, giving the franchise its first-ever NFL Championship.
Conclusion and Lasting Legacy
The 1935 NFL Championship is more than just a forgotten footnote between the Lions’ earlier days and their 1950s dynasty. It was a foundational moment for the franchise and for the city. This victory contributed directly to Detroit earning the nickname “City of Champions,” as it came on the heels of the Detroit Tigers’ 1935 World Series win and Joe Louis’s heavyweight title victory, followed shortly by the Red Wings’ 1936 Stanley Cup. Figures like Dutch Clark, an inaugural Pro Football Hall of Famer, and Buddy Parker, who would later coach the Lions to two more titles, built their legacies on the mud and grit of this historic day. Though often overshadowed, the 1935 Lions’ title remains a testament to the team’s early resilience and a cornerstone of Detroit’s rich sporting heritage.
