Longtime Detroit Lions great Lomas Brown played just one game at Ford Field, making an appearance for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002, his final NFL season.
Soon enough, though, he’ll be part of the stadium’s permanent atmosphere.
The former offensive tackle, who played 11 seasons with the Lions, received a surprise on Friday night while working the WXYT-FM (97.1) radio broadcast of the Lions’ preseason opener against the New York Giants: Brown is headed to “The Pride of the Lions,” the Lions’ ring of honor at Ford Field, come October 30. Brown will be honored at halftime of the Monday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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During a commercial break early in the second quarter, team president Rod Wood — who had just completed an interview with Brown and play-by-play announcer Dan Miller — broke the news to him.
Brown was still nearly speechless when the broadcast resumed.
“Unbelievable,” he got out after Miller shared the news with the radio audience.
“The Detroit Lions are proud to induct Lomas Brown into the Pride of the Lions and it couldn’t be more deserved,” Wood said in a team release. “Lomas was a fundamental piece of our team success in the 90s and enjoyed a long and greatly successful NFL career. He continues to be a positive presence not only in our organization, but in the greater community as well. He is a bridge to our fans, our Lions Legends, and is as much a part of our history as our future.”
Brown’s induction follows that of his longtime teammate, Chris Spielman, who was added to the ring at Ford Field on Oct. 31, 2022. Spielman, now a special assistant to Wood and team owner Sheila Hamp, played with Brown from 1988-95.
Brown, the Lions’ first round pick — No. 6 overall — in 1985 out of the University of Florida, played for the Lions from 1985-95, then finished his NFL career with seven seasons with the Giants, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2002. The tackle made seven Pro Bowls — six with the Lions — and was a first-team All-Pro in his final season in Detroit.
The Miami native finished his NFL career with 263 games played, including 164 with the Lions. He earned a Super Bowl ring in that final season with the Bucs.
The Lions have honored their greatest players with a spot in the ring of honor since 2009; Brown will be the 20th player inducted. The others: Spielman, Lem Barney, Roger Brown, Jack Christiansen, Dutch Clark, Lou Creekmur, Jason Hanson, Alex Karras, Dick “Night Train” Lane, Yale Lary, Bobby Layne, Dick LeBeau, Herman Moore, Barry Sanders, Charlie Sanders, Joe Schmidt, Dick Stanfel, Doak Walker and Alex Wojchiechowicz. Brown will be the fourth player from the 1991 Lions — the franchise’s most recent team to win a playoff game — inducted, along with Moore, Sanders and Spielman.
Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford.