Joseph Paul Schmidt (January 19, 1932 – September 11, 2024) was an American professional football player and coach.

He won two NFL championships with the Lions (1953 and 1957), and, between 1954 and 1963, he played in ten consecutive Pro Bowl games and was selected each year as a first-team All-Pro player.

He was selected by the International News Service as a first-team All-American in 1952 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

[4] As a senior, Schmidt was the captain of the 1952 Pittsburgh team that compiled a 6–3 record, including victories over Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Army.

[6] In the Notre Dame game, Schmidt sustained a concussion and hemorrhage that required him to be hospitalized for ten days.

The Lions and Schmidt both had doubts as to whether a seventh round pick would be able to make the lineup of the best defense in the NFL.

[11][12] Schmidt appeared in all 12 regular season games, intercepted two passes, and helped the Lions to the 1953 NFL Championship with the league's second best scoring defense.

[23] The 1956 Lions improved to 9–3, finishing in second place in the West Division with the third best scoring defense in the NFL.

[24] At the end of the 1956 season, Schmidt was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UP, NEA, and The Sporting News (TSN).

[25] Schmidt intercepted two passes in the post-season and led the Lions to a 59–14 victory over the Browns in the 1957 NFL Championship Game.

[26] He was involved in half of the Lions' tackles, including 80 initial tackles and 77 assists in 12 games,[27] was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UPI, NEA and The Sporting News,[2] and was named the NFL Lineman of the Year in an AP poll of NFL writers.

[33] After the 1959 season, Schmidt once again played in the Pro Bowl and was selected by the AP, UPI, NEA, and The Sporting News as a first-team All-Pro player.

[35] On October 16, in his first game back from the injury, he intercepted a pass and returned it 17 yards for the first touchdown of his NFL career.

[37] After the 1960 season, he played in the Pro Bowl and was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the NEA and Sporting News.

[2] In April 1963, Schmidt and five other Lions were implicated in a gambling investigation by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle.

[42] Detroit teammate Alex Karras was given an indefinite suspension for his role in the betting; Schmidt and four other Lions were fined $2,000 each.

[48][49] In 1965, Schmidt's last as a player, he appeared in all 14 games for the Lions and intercepted four passes, the second highest total of his career.

The Detroit Free Press wrote that Schmidt took over a team that was reportedly "at the depths" and was "charged with rebuilding from the bottom.

McCulloch was selected as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1968, the second consecutive season in which a Lions draftee won the award.

Sanders remained with the Lions for 10 years and was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

[57] In 1969, the Lions opened the season 3–3 but picked up momentum from there, compiling a 6–1–1 record in their final eight games and finishing in second place behind the Vikings.

[66] The most heartbreaking loss came on November 8, when Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints broke an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal to beat the Lions, 19–17, as time expired.

[66] The playoff run lasted only one game, however, as the Dallas Cowboys won a defensive battle, 5–0, on December 26.

[55] The new contract was seen as an endorsement by owner William Clay Ford of Schmidt's rebuilding efforts, leading the team to a 19–8–1 record in the previous two seasons.

He was fast enough to evade a 250-pound guard, to follow a play along the line or to drop back to cover a pass.

"[10] In addition to the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame, Schmidt also received numerous other honors.

In August 1969, Schmidt was named by the Pro Football Hall of Fame to its NFL 1950s All-Decade Team.

[86] In April 1997, the University of Pittsburgh announced that Schmidt's jersey number 65 would be retired at a ceremony in September 1997.

[7][87] In August 1999, Schmidt was ranked number 65 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

[88] In December 1999, the Detroit Free Press compiled its list of the greatest Michigan sports figures of the 20th century; Schmidt was ranked No. 14.