‘That was a big deal’: Oral history of the Detroit Lions’ 1992 playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys – Detroit Lions Blog

DETROIT — The “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons had recently won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.

Civil Rights advocate Nelson Mandela was not far removed from a historic visit to Detroit after spending nearly three decades in prison.

A teenaged Jalen Rose — on the heels of leading Detroit Southwestern High School to back-to-back Class A state championships — had just arrived on the University of Michigan’s campus to help birth college basketball’s famed Fab Five.

But Detroit Lions superstar running back Barry Sanders was the talk of the town.

This was Motown, during the Detroit Lions’ 1991 season.

Sanders was in his third season and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (16) and rushing yards per game (103.2). After two losing years, he had a team around him to capitalize on his once-in-a-generation talents.

The Lions were winners of a franchise-record 12 games, but it was not a season without heartbreak. Offensive lineman Mike Utley suffered a spinal cord injury during a Week 12 game against the Los Angeles Rams and was paralyzed. Utley would be carted off the field, but not before flashing his now iconic thumbs up to fans and teammates, who rallied to win for Utley.

All of these events would lead to Sunday, Jan. 5, 1992: The Dallas Cowboys visited the Pontiac Silverdome as the Lions hosted a playoff game for the first time since 1957.

The game also the last playoff win for the franchise, which is home to the longest current drought between postseason victories in the NFL after the Cincinnati Bengals victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in the wild-card round Saturday.

This is how they remember that day, 30 years ago, when Detroit was the epicenter of the football world.