Sports
Dick "Night Train" Lane
1928–2002 · American football cornerback, youth-sports director
Hall of Fame cornerback, one of the fiercest tacklers in NFL history, who played for the Lions and then ran Detroit's Police Athletic League for 17 years.
- Born
Austin, Texas- Died
Austin, Texas
aged 73- Birth name
- Richard Lane
- Also known as
- Night Train Lane · Richard Lane
- Detroit years
- 1960–1992
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Lane still holds the NFL record of 14 interceptions in a season, set as a Rams rookie in 1952, and he was a star with the Chicago Cardinals before the Lions acquired him in August 1960. In his first Detroit win he picked off Johnny Unitas and ran it back 80 yards for a touchdown, and he quickly became a fan favorite at Tiger Stadium, feared for his ferocious open-field tackles. He played for the Lions through 1965, alongside Yale Lary and Dick LeBeau in one of the league's best secondaries. He was briefly married to the singer Dinah Washington, who died at their Detroit home in December 1963. Lane stayed in the city after his playing days, working in the Lions' front office until 1972, and from 1975 to 1992 he led the Detroit Police Athletic League, which runs sports programs for thousands of city children. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
Highlights
- NFL record 14 interceptions in a season (1952)
- Played for the Lions 1960–1965
- Led the Detroit Police Athletic League 1975–1992
- Named to the NFL's 50th and 100th anniversary all-time teams
- Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1974
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1960–1965
Tiger Stadium (site)
Demolished · 1912–1999
The Lions' home during his Detroit career; demolished in 2008–2009. Fittingly, the Police Athletic League he once led now has its headquarters and ballpark on the site.