Joseph Paul Schmidt (January 19, 1932 – September 11, 2024) was an American professional football player and coach. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions for 13 years from 1953 to 1965. 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 also voted by his fellow NFL players as the NFL's most valuable defensive player in 1960 and 1963, named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and chosen as a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.

From 1967 to 1972, Schmidt was the head coach of the Detroit Lions. In six years under Schmidt, the Lions compiled a 43–34–7 record and finished in second place each year from 1969 to 1972. After retiring from the Lions, Schmidt worked as a manufacturer's representative in the automobile industry in Detroit.

A native of Pittsburgh, he played college football for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers team from 1950 to 1952. 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.

Early life Schmidt was born in Pittsburgh in 1932 and grew up in the borough of Brentwood. Schmidt was the youngest of four brothers. Two of his brothers died while Schmidt was still a boy, one after falling from a tree and the other while serving in the military in June 1944. His father died in February 1945. Another brother played football at Carnegie Tech and recruited Joe to play semipro football at age 14. He later enrolled at Brentwood High School and played football.

College career Schmidt attended the University of Pittsburgh, playing on the school's football team for three years, from 1950 to 1952. During his first two years as a Pittsburgh football player, the team compiled losing records of 1–8 in 1950 and 3–7 in 1951.

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. Prior to the Notre Dame game, Schmidt gave a speech that was credited with motivating the team to defeat the heavily favored Notre Dame team. In the Notre Dame game, Schmidt sustained a concussion and hemorrhage that required him to be hospitalized for ten days.

At the end of the 1952 season, Schmidt was selected as a first-team All-American by the International News Service.International News Service, " Hardeman, Morehead on INS All-American team," Rome News-Tribune, p. 15 (November 30, 1952). Retrieved March 21, 2010. He was also selected to play in the Senior Bowl.

Professional playing career

Two NFL championships (1953–1957) Schmidt was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round (85th overall pick) of the 1953 NFL draft. He joined a team that had won the 1952 NFL Championship and led the NFL in scoring defense. 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. However, Schmidt impressed in the pre-season and was included in the regular season roster. In the first game of the 1953 season, he helped the Lions to a 38–21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers; the Detroit Free Press wrote that Schmidt was "making tackles all over the field" and was a key in holding the Steelers to 96 rushing yards. 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.

Schmidt again appeared in all 12 regular season games for the 1954 Detroit Lions team that compiled a 9–2–1 record and won the NFC Western Division but lost to the Browns in the 1954 NFL Championship Game despite Schmidt's interception of an Otto Graham pass. At the end of the 1954 season, Schmidt was selected by the Associated Press (AP) as a first-team All-Pro player and by the United Press (UP) as a second-team All-Pro. He was also invited to play in the Pro Bowl, the first of ten consecutive Pro Bowls in Schmidt's career.

In 1955, following an injury to Bobby Layne and the retirement of Les Bingaman, the Lions dropped to 3–9, and the team fell to ninth of 12 NFL teams in scoring defense, but Schmidt continued to impress. He appeared in all 12 games for the Lions, tied an NFL record with eight fumble recoveries, and won the Lions' President's Trophy as the team's most valuable player. He was selected by both the AP and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) as a first-team All-Pro and by the UP as a second-team All-Pro.

In August 1956, Schmidt was elected as the team captain, a designation he would hold for the next nine years. When the NFL Players Association was formed in 1956, Schmidt was chosen by his teammates as their first player representative. He was also the signal caller for the defense and quickly developed a reputation as being "without peer" at the task. The 1956 Lions improved to 9–3, finishing in second place in the West Division with the third best scoring defense in the NFL. 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).

Schmidt had perhaps his best season in 1957. As team captain, he appeared in every game and led the 1957 Lions to their third NFL championship in six years. 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. For the second time in his career, Schmidt was selected as the Lions' most valuable player. He was involved in half of the Lions' tackles, including 80 initial tackles and 77 assists in 12 games, was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UPI, NEA and The Sporting News, and was named the NFL Lineman of the Year in an AP poll of NFL writers.

Later years (1958–1965)

After serving six months in the United States Army after the 1957 season, Schmidt held out prior to the start of the 1958 season, seeking a 50% salary increase to $18,000. He ultimately signed a one-year contract in late July. After winning the NFL championship in 1957, the 1958 Lions fell to 4–7–1 with a scoring defense ranked seventh of 12 teams in the NFL. Despite the team's decline, Schmidt intercepted a career-high six passes in 1958. He was also selected as the Lions' most valuable player for the third time, played in the Pro Bowl, and was selected by the AP, UPI, NEA, and The Sporting News as a first-team All-Pro player.

The Lions struggles continued in 1959 with a 3–8–1 record and a scoring defense ranked eighth in the league. 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.

During an exhibition game on September 11, 1960, Schmidt suffered a dislocated right shoulder that caused him to miss the first two games of the regular season. Prior to the injury, Schmidt had played in every game for the Lions for seven consecutive years from 1953 to 1959. He returned to the lineup wearing a restraining harness to protect his shoulder. 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. The Lions lost the first two games of the season, but went 7–3 after Schmidt returned. 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. He was also voted by the NFL players as the league's most valuable defensive player.

During the 1961 and 1962 seasons, Schmidt appeared in all 28 regular season games for the Lions, as the team improved to 8–5–1 and 11–3, finishing in second place in the NFL Western Division both years. For the fourth time in his career, Schmidt was selected as the Lions' most valuable player in 1961. He played both years in the Pro Bowl and won first-team All-Pro honors in 1961 from the AP, UPI, NEA, and TSN, and in 1962 from the AP, UPI, and NEA.

In April 1963, Schmidt and five other Lions were implicated in a gambling investigation by NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle. Schmidt had placed a $50 bet on the Packers to defeat the Giants in the 1962 NFL Championship Game. 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. In 1963, Schmidt missed four games with another dislocated shoulder, but still appeared in 10 games and was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the NEA. After the season ended, he played in his tenth consecutive Pro Bowl and was selected for the tenth consecutive year as an All-Pro, receiving first-team honors from the NEA. The NFL players also selected Schmidt as the NFL's most valuable player on defense. Schmidt was paid $22,000 in 1963, making him the club's highest paid defensive player up to that time.

In 1964, Schmidt was limited to nine games. His season ended on November 9 when he sustained yet another dislocated shoulder in a loss to the Packers. After sustaining the injury, Schmidt announced that he intended to retire as a player. However, he quickly rescinded his resignation and stated his intent to attempt a comeback in 1965. 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. In March 1966, Schmidt announced his retirement as a player. During his 13-year NFL career, Schmidt appeared in 155 games, intercepted 24 passes, and recovered 17 fumbles.

Coaching career

Assistant coach (1966) Simultaneously with his retirement as a player, Schmidt was hired as an assistant coach for the 1966 Lions. During the 1966 season, he tutored linebackers Mike Lucci, who became the Lions' most valuable defensive player for three consecutive years, and Wally Hilgenberg, who later played 12 seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions compiled a 4–9–1 record in 1966.

Rebuilding (1967–1968) On January 6, 1967, shortly after the end of the 1966 season, Lions fired head coach Harry Gilmer and signed Schmidt, at age 35, to a five-year, $40,000-a-year contract as Gilmer's replacement. In his first year as head coach, the Lions ended with a 5–7–2 record.

In May 1968, the Lions traded with the Los Angeles Rams for quarterback Bill Munson. During the 1968 season, the Lions compiled a 4–8–2 record. On October 21, 1968, Schmidt was booed by Detroit fans when, after the Lions recovered a fumble at their own 20-yard line with the score tied and 27 seconds left, Schmidt ran out the clock with four running plays instead of going for the win.