Did you know that certain members of the Detroit Lions played basketball? I didn't know until I came across this photograph recently. It shows state trooper Phil Chrzan, Romeo grid coach Paul Murphy, and the Detroit Lions’ Larry Lee looking on Horace King and the all-star’s Jerry Nelson as the latter two scramble to control the ball. But why?
In the March 23, 1983 issue of The Romeo Observer, Lions players Lee, King, Garry Cobb, Alvin Hall, Al Latimer, Homer Elias, and Romeo's Mike Green went against the faculty all-stars and won with a 113-70 score on Satuday, March 19 at the Romeo High School gymnasium. The faculty all-stars were made up of Chrzan, Murphy, David Lohr, Pete Dalton, Greg Ganfield, Al Sharrow, and Jerry Barr.
It was all in the name of fun since the Lions were helping to raise money for local organizations during their off-season. Lee explains, "We run football camps and play softball against little league teams as a fund-raising event and to stay in shape."
It's nice that they play basketball too!
Source: The Romeo Observer, March 23, 1983, p.13