Just read that Leonard Thompson recently passed.
A jack of all trades was he. RIP Leonard.
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35 TD. 4th in Lions history.
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Never saw him play but much respect. Lions, and all teams in any sport for that matter, need to have a ring of honor thing paying respect to these players who weren’t necessarily HOF’ers but had an impact on the franchise at some point.
First wideout I can remember…
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I’m old enough to remember seeing him play. Guy was tough as nails and made some seriously great plays on some not so great teams.
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Bummer, loved watching Leonard when I was growing up.
I remember watching him play. I believe he got hit in the mouth and had to have his jaw wired. Also caught Chuck Long’s first pass for a TD. Hard to believe he was 69.
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@Lionpile, totally agree. Very hard to believe he was almost 70.
Ah, the early 80s Lions…oddly enough some nice memories.
Really like our home uniforms from that era.
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Rest In Peace #39.
I’m so curious why our current home uniforms numbers aren’t outlined in white? The Lions are so backwards…never can get anything right.
On side note I would like to see our color rush gray jersey aligned with our home gray pants
They should have beat the 49ers that year (1983) in the playoffs. Many forget how good that team was. Eddie Murray misses a 44 yard FG at the end. 49ers nearly beat the Redskins that year to go to the Super Bowl in the next game NFCCG
Added fun fact: In 1981 (Gibbs first year in Washington) Joe Theismann was a whisker away from being traded to Detroit for Gary Danielson.
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Leonard was fast before fast was cool… always loved Leonard. RIP #39.
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Loved those late '70s years! Really thought magic was going to happen after Bubba & Billy came on board.
RIP
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Yea That was a close game
Then refs jobbed the niners in Washington on a long pass interference call
If they did That to niners
Refs would’ve killed the lions that game lol
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He was my oldest brother’s favorite player back in the 80s
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49ers were hosed that game. Also the PI (or holding) on Ronnie Lott near the goal line on 3rd down was a really bad call. One of those five yards down the field calls. Washington’s GW drive was mostly those two penalties. Montana would have had two minutes left to get them in FG range without the Lott penalty.
You can find that game on youtube among many other old games. In the offseason I often watch these old games when I need a nostalgia fix. Or I just want to watch some games before my time.
Like the 1970 Dallas Detroit playoff
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Murrey, wide right…Monte Clark praying. Some things are etched in memory forever.
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I was three years old when that game happened…I remember my Dad and oldest brother being in tears because of that missed FG. This was a week after my mom was in tears because the Rams had beaten the Cowboys in the wild card game the week before. It’s was a sad two weeks or so in my family’s house and poor innocent me couldn’t understand why everyone was so sad at that time… 
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