This post is sponsored by JCPenney/Van Heusen.
The NFL has partnered with Van Heusen and JCPenny to give fans a chance to vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The fan vote doesn't officially count toward the next Hall of Fame Class, but it will be interesting to compare the actual vote to one done by fans. Some of the differences could be quite drastic because certain players were fan favorites or not well-liked by the media, or because one fan base decides to really load up the ballots for their team's former players. In the case of the six former Lions on the ballot, that is what I hope will happen.
The six former Lions who are nominees include one former coach, three long-tenured, well-known ex-players, and two other players who spent only a few seasons or so in Detroit. Here is the full list:
Buddy Parker (Played for Lions from 1935-36; Coached for Lions from 1950-1956)
Al "Bubba" Baker (1978-82)
Lomas Brown (1985-95)
Chris Spielman (1988-95)
Herman Moore (1991-01)
Pat Swilling (1993-94)
The three names on that list that jump out the most are probably Lomas Brown, Chris Spielman, and Herman Moore, as each spent a good amount of time playing for the Lions. Al Baker and Pat Swilling spent far less time in Detroit, but each was an outstanding player while on the Lions. Baker was the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1978 and made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in the league. Swilling was traded to the Lions in 1993 and made the Pro Bowl that season. The Lions also made the playoffs that year as well as in Swilling's second and final season in Detroit.
To vote for one or all of these former Lions, click here. The results of the vote will be officially announced on NFL Network in 38 days, but you can see what place each player is currently in right now. Spielman and Swilling are the only two former Lions in the top 100, and even then they are only #46 and #55, respectively. You can vote once a day, so head over there and move these former Lions up in the rankings.