George Plimpton’s 1966 nonfiction classic ‘Paper Lion’ revealed the bruising truths of Detroit Lions training camp

By: Stephen Siff, Miami University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 26, 2025

Words: 1,445

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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By Stephen Siff, Miami University

As the Detroit Lions barrel toward a Thanksgiving Day game with the Green Bay Packers, some die-hard fans may be fantasizing about what it would be like to be on the field themselves: calling plays from the Lions huddle, accepting the snap from between a crouching center’s thighs, and spinning to hand off the football before the defensive linemen come crashing down.

In 1963, Lions head coach George Wilson allowed …

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