Bruce Maher, a native Detroiter who played for the Lions in the 1960s, died July 6.
Maher, 80, died at his home in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, after a long battle with cancer.
There were 360 players drafted into the NFL in 1959, including 172 before Maher. Yet only 13 had a longer NFL career than Maher, who played eight seasons with the Lions and his final two with the New York Giants.
Maher, a safety, was named the Lions' team MVP in 1965, a season in which he started all 14 games and recorded four interceptions.