1980 Detroit Lions

The 1980 Detroit Lions season was the 51st season in franchise history. As the result of a miserable 1979 season, the Lions were able to select Heisman Trophy winning Oklahoma Sooner halfback Billy Sims with first pick in the NFL draft. In his rookie season, Sims set the NFL on its collective ear as he rushed his way to the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award while carrying the Lions back to respectability. After winning its first four games, the Lions would improve dramatically from the previous season, finishing 9-7, narrowly misseing out on landing a playoff birth and the NFC Central title by a tiebreaker against the Minnesota Vikings.

Regular season
In his NFL debut, Billy Sims had three touchdowns.

Awards and records

 * Billy Sims, Pro Bowl selection (1980
 * Billy Sims, 1980 Offensive Rookie of the Year
 * Billy Sims, 1980 UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year
 * Billy Sims, Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year