Dick Stanfel anchored championship lines and redefined interior blocking to absolutely dominate the NFL gridiron during the 1950s.
DICK STANFEL
Football Bio
July 20, 1927 – San Francisco, California – Dick Stanfel, a Pro Football Hall of Fame-enshrined guard who played for the Detroit Lions and later the Washington Redskins was born.
He was a two-way player for the University of San Francisco, and prior to college, Mr. Stanfel served in the U.S. Army.
Dick suffered an injury just before the College All-Star game in Chicago and missed the majority of the 1951 season.
Through patience and diligent rehab, his body recovered, and he had a sensational 1952 season.
In fact, the Lions advanced to the NFL Championship game in their first three seasons, which Stanfel played.
He was a standout player with the Lions NFL Championship teams of 1952 and 1953.
According to the profootballhof.com website, Stanfel made the Pro Bowl in four of the seven seasons that he played in the NFL.
After his playing days, he spent another 35 years coaching, mostly with offensive lines at Notre Dame, Cal, the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers, and the New Orleans Saints.
His total football career as a player and a coach spanned over 50 years.
Dick Stanfel leaves behind an unmatched legacy of durability and dominance, transforming the offensive line landscape throughout his fifty-year career. By overpowering defensive fronts as a player and expertly molding future champions as a coach, he cements his rightful, permanent place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2016 as a senior candidate.
- 2× NFL Champion: Won back-to-back NFL titles with the Detroit Lions in 1952 and 1953.
- NFL 1950s All-Decade Team: Selected as one of the premier offensive guards of his era.
- 5× Pro Bowl Selection: Earned Pro Bowl honors five times during his brief but brilliant seven-year playing career.
- 5× First-Team All-Pro: Voted as a First-Team All-Pro five times (twice with Detroit, three times with Washington).
- Detroit Lions Team MVP: Voted the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1953, an extremely rare achievement for an interior offensive lineman.
- Super Bowl Champion Coach: Coached the legendary offensive line of the 1985 Chicago Bears to a dominant victory in Super Bowl XX.
- Detroit Lions All-Time Team: Honored as one of the greatest players in franchise history.
