Top 10 Lions of 2013, No. 9: Stephen Tulloch

Pride Of Detroit is counting down the top 10 Detroit Lions players of 2013, as voted on by readers of the site. 1,051 ballots were submitted, and next up is a look at the No. 9 player on the list.

No. 9 - LB Stephen Tulloch - 2,100 points

The second player on the Top 10 Lions of 2013, coming in at No. 9, is linebacker Stephen Tulloch. He ended up with 2,100 points after being included on 502 of the 1,051 ballots. Tulloch didn't receive a single first-place vote, but he brought in seven second-place votes and 17 third-place votes. Tulloch put up consistent numbers in all of the other spots in the top 10, which helped him finish ninth.

Tulloch, who was actually fourth on last year's edition of this list, is entering his third season with the Lions. Last year, in his second season as the Lions' starting middle linebacker, he racked up a team-leading 112 tackles. He also had 0.5 sacks, 6 passes defended and 1 forced fumble for the Lions.

Tulloch is essentially the quarterback of the Lions defense. He stepped into this role in 2011, the same year the Lions ended their playoff drought. After that season, he signed a five-year deal with the Lions, and now he is entering the second year of that contract.

Given the struggles of the defense and the Lions as a whole in 2012, Tulloch will be looking for a season in 2013 that is more like his first one in Detroit.

Previously: No. 10 Ryan Broyles