1947 Detroit Lions Roster
National Football League (NFL)
Team Record: 3-9
Finishing 5th in the NFL's West Division
Coach: Gus Dorais (3-9)
Location: Detroit, Michigan
1947 Detroit Lions StatisticsTeam Record: 3-9
Finishing 5th in the NFL's West Division
Coach: Gus Dorais (3-9)
Location: Detroit, Michigan
1947 Detroit Lions Results
The Detroit Lions of the National Football League ended the 1947 season with a record of 3 wins and 9 losses, finishing fifth in the NFL's West Division.
Detroit scored 231 points, while the defensive squad yielded 305. Clyde LeForce passed for 1,384 yards. John Greene topped all receivers, hauling in 38 balls for 621 yards.
Camp Wilson rushed for a team-leading 412 yards for the Lions.
Bill Dudley and Bob Wiese each intercepted 5 opponent throws.
Gus Dorais coached the team.
Click on column headings to sort.
| # | Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | College | Hometown | GP | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | Stan Batinski | LG | March 4, 1917 | 5'10" | 215 | Temple | Greenfield, MA USA | 12 | 9 |
| 44 | Ben Chase | G | March 18, 1923 | 6'3" | 235 | Navy | Bisbee, AZ USA | 11 | 0 |
| 20 | Ted Cook | LE | February 6, 1922 | 6'2" | 195 | Alabama | Birmingham, AL USA | 11 | 5 |
| 21 | Ted Cremer | RE | March 16, 1919 | 6'2" | 209 | Auburn | Corbin, KY USA | 12 | 10 |
| 39 | Bob DeFruiter | HB | June 3, 1918 | 6'0" | 190 | Nebraska | Springfield, NE USA | 8 | 2 |
| 73 | Robert Derleth | T | June 9, 1922 | 6'3" | 230 | Michigan | Marquette, MI USA | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Chuck DeShane | RG | December 10, 1918 | 6'1" | 212 | Alabama | Waukesha, WI USA | 11 | 10 |
| 35 | Bill Dudley | KR | December 24, 1919 | 5'10" | 182 | Virginia | Bluefield, VA USA | 9 | 8 |
| 50 | Jack Dugger | T | January 13, 1923 | 6'3" | 230 | Ohio St. | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 12 | 3 |
| 46 | Leon Fichman | T | February 23, 1921 | 6'1" | 215 | Alabama | Los Angeles, CA USA | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | John Greene | LE | April 21, 1920 | 6'0" | 210 | Michigan | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 12 | 6 |
| 34 | George Hekkers | T | February 18, 1923 | 6'4" | 241 | Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WI USA | 6 | 0 |
| 31 | Ralph Heywood | E | September 11, 1921 | 6'2" | 203 | USC | Los Angeles, CA USA | 12 | 1 |
| 48 | Bill Hillman | B | November 11, 1921 | 5'11" | 200 | Tennessee | Erie, PA USA | 2 | 0 |
| 42 | Bob Ivory | G | January 29, 1924 | 6'2" | 212 | Detroit Mercy | Detroit, MI USA | 3 | 0 |
| 22 | Tommy James | DB-HB | September 16, 1923 | 5'10" | 185 | Ohio St. | Canton, OH USA | 2 | 0 |
| 73 | Elmer Jones | G | August 4, 1920 | 6'0" | 224 | Franklin & Marshall | Buffalo, NY USA | 10 | 2 |
| 45 | Pete Kmetovic | HB | December 27, 1919 | 5'9" | 175 | Stanford | San Jose, CA USA | 11 | 1 |
| 51 | Les Lear | T | August 22, 1918 | 5'11" | 225 | Manitoba | Grafton, ND USA | 10 | 1 |
| 11 | Clyde LeForce | QB | June 4, 1923 | 5'11" | 176 | Tulsa | Pawnee, OK USA | 9 | 2 |
| 40 | Elmer Madarik | RH | July 15, 1922 | 5'11" | 200 | Detroit Mercy | Joliet, IL USA | 8 | 5 |
| 81 | Joe Margucci | HB | September 5, 1921 | 5'10" | 182 | USC | Brooklyn, NY USA | 11 | 4 |
| 78 | Kelley Mote | E | April 27, 1923 | 6'2" | 189 | South Carolina | Hapeville, GA USA | 12 | 1 |
| 46 | Reed Nilsen | C | January 13, 1921 | 6'0" | 230 | BYU | Provo, UT USA | 2 | 0 |
| 62 | Bill O'Brien | HB | August 25, 1924 | 6'0" | 180 | none | Detroit, MI USA | 9 | 1 |
| 82 | Mitch Olenski | RT | January 13, 1921 | 6'3" | 222 | Alabama | Benton, IL USA | 12 | 8 |
| 67 | Merv Pregulman | C | October 10, 1922 | 6'3" | 215 | Michigan | Lansing, MI USA | 12 | 9 |
| 48 | Ken Reese | HB-QB | April 30, 1921 | 5'11" | 175 | Alabama | El Dorado, AR USA | 4 | 0 |
| 34 | Floyd Rhea | G | September 21, 1920 | 6'0" | 218 | Oregon | Rhea's Mills, AR USA | 2 | 0 |
| 44 | Dave Ryan | TB-HB | February 3, 1923 | 5'10" | 190 | Hardin-Simmons | Kaufman, TX USA | 1 | 0 |
| John Sanchez | T | October 12, 1920 | 6'3" | 239 | Redlands | Los Angeles, CA USA | 3 | 0 | |
| 55 | Cecil Souders | E | January 3, 1921 | 6'1" | 210 | Ohio St. | Bucyrus, OH USA | 11 | 4 |
| 52 | Ed Stacco | T | April 16, 1925 | 6'2" | 261 | Colgate | Carbondale, PA USA | 10 | 0 |
| 12 | Dick Stovall | LB-G-C | May 4, 1922 | 6'0" | 202 | Abilene Christian | Albany, TX USA | 11 | 0 |
| 33 | Steve Sucic | HB-FB | April 21, 1921 | 6'0" | 210 | Illinois | Chicago, IL USA | 5 | 0 |
| 83 | Frank Szymanski | C | July 6, 1923 | 5'11" | 225 | Notre Dame | Detroit, MI USA | 12 | 3 |
| 71 | Russ Thomas | LT | July 24, 1924 | 6'3" | 237 | Ohio St. | Griffithsville, WV USA | 12 | 12 |
| 33 | Walt Vezmar | G | January 1, 1925 | 5'11" | 235 | Michigan St. | Detroit, MI USA | 2 | 0 |
| 42 | Bill Ward | G | February 19, 1921 | 6'0" | 230 | Washington St. | Sequim, WA USA | 4 | 2 |
| 15 | Joe Watt | HB | June 18, 1919 | 5'11" | 184 | Syracuse | Montreal, QC Canada | 8 | 4 |
| 85 | Bob Westfall | FB | May 5, 1919 | 5'8" | 190 | Michigan | Detroit, MI USA | 12 | 3 |
| 75 | Bob Wiese | B | January 25, 1923 | 6'3" | 198 | Michigan | Jamestown, ND USA | 12 | 2 |
| 66 | Camp Wilson | FB | March 29, 1922 | 6'1" | 200 | Tarleton St. | Pecos, TX USA | 12 | 7 |
| 6 | Roy Zimmerman | K | February 20, 1918 | 6'2" | 201 | San Jose St. | Tonganoxie, KS USA | 12 | 7 |
