Ex-Detroit Lions coach Buddy Parker takes step toward Pro Football Hall of Fame
The “golden age” of the Detroit Lions could get another remembrance at the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year, as former coach Buddy Parker was announced Thursday as one of the semifinalists in the “Seniors” pool for coaches and contributors for the Hal’s 2023 class.
The field of 29 coaches and contributors will be narrowed down to 12 on July 27 and one selection on Aug. 23. Parker was previously a finalist for the Hall’s Centennial Class, which was inducted in 2021.
Parker coached the Lions for six seasons, going 47-23-2 (.671) with Detroit and winning the 1952 and 1953 NFL championships, followed by a loss in the 1954 title game. His .671 winning percentage with Detroit is No. 2 for the franchise all-time, trailing only the .679 of Potsy Clark (1931-40).
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Parker’s resignation came as a shock to the city, as he announced it in front of hundreds of fans at a “Meet the Lions” dinner on Aug. 12, 1957, mere weeks before the new season was to begin. After being introduced as “football’s greatest coach,” the 43-year-old addressed the crowd, saying, “Sometime in every football coach’s career, there comes a time when he reaches a situation which he can’t handle. I’ve just arrived at that point. Tonight, I’m getting out of the Detroit Lions’ organization. I’ve had enough.”
Parker later elaborated on his walking away, blaming a roster generally acknowledged as rough and rowdy off the field for his last-place finish in 1955, after five straight seasons of finishing second or better in the Lions’ division.
“The basic reason for my decision to quit is that I can’t handle this squad,” he said. “It is the worst team I’ve ever had from a standpoint of working on the firld, getting the job done and its actions off the field. …
“Most of the time, you feel you can work things out. But this situation is different. They simply got beyond my control. I don’t intend to let myself get in the middle of another losing season.
“I think this basically is a good team, but somebody else undoubtedly can handle it better than I can.”
Parker was replaced with George Wilson, his offensive coordinator. Wilson led the Lions to an 8-4 record during the season and an NFL title, beating the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns in the playoffs. The Lions have won just one playoff game – following the 1991 season – since their title game victory over the Browns.
Parker soon signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers, whom he coached for eight seasons (1957-64). The Texas native also coached the Chicago Cardinals for one season (1949). In all, he finished his NFL career with a 104-75-9 (.581) record. Aa a player, he spent two seasons with the Lions (1935-36), rushing 65 times for 177 yards, followed by seven seasons with the Cardinals, during which he saw limited touches as a fullback. Parker died in 1982 at the age of 68.
Parker’s Hall candidacy faces a crowded field of semifinalists, including notable coaches Don Coryell, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves, Mike Shanahan and Marty Schottenheimer plus owners such as Bud Adams (Oilers/Titans), Robert Kraft (Patriots) and Art Modell (Browns/Ravens).
The 25 semifinalists for three Seniors spots on the players side were also announced Thursday: Ken Anderson, Maxie Baughan, Mark Clayton, Roger Craig, LaVern Dilweg, Randy Gradishar, Lester Hayes, Chris Hinton, Chuck Howley, Cecil Isbell, Joe Jacoby, Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, Mike Kenn, Joe Klecko, Bob Kuechenberg, George Kunz, Jim Marshall, Clay Matthews Jr., Eddie Meador, Stanley Morgan, Tommy Nobis, Ken Riley, Sterling Sharpe, Otis Taylor and Everson Walls.
The field of players will also be cut to 12 on July 27, with up to three selections being chosen on Aug. 16.
This year’s Hall of Fame induction is Aug. 6 in Canton, Ohio, with an eight-person class: tackle Tony Boselli, wide receiver Cliff Branch, safety LeRoy Butler, official Art McNally, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive end/defensive tackle Richard Seymour, coach Dick Vermeil and defensive tackle/defensive end Bryant Young.
Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Detroit Lions coach Buddy Parker takes step toward Hall of Fame
