The Detroit Lions and the broader NFL community are mourning the passing of former quarterback and coach Greg Landry, whose death was announced by the Lions on social media Friday. No cause of death was provided.
“We join the NFL community in mourning the loss of former Lions quarterback and coach Greg Landry,” the team stated in its post.
Landry’s NFL career spanned from 1968 to 1981, where he played primarily for the Detroit Lions and later the Baltimore Colts. Known for his dual-threat capabilities, Landry was one of the league’s premier running quarterbacks during his time, amassing over 2,600 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns, alongside his 16,052 passing yards, 98 touchdowns, and 103 interceptions.
The Lions selected Landry as the 11th overall pick in the 1968 NFL Draft from UMass, where he starred as both a passer and rusher. He spent 11 seasons in Detroit, finishing with a 40-41-3 record as a starter. His standout year came in 1971, when he passed for 2,237 yards and 16 touchdowns, earning him first-team All-Pro honors and his lone Pro Bowl appearance.
In 1976, Landry’s resilience earned him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, after he bounced back from injury to throw for 2,191 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Following his time with the Lions, Landry was traded to the Baltimore Colts, where he played three seasons with a 3-10-1 record. He later spent two seasons in the USFL, playing with the Chicago Blitz and Arizona Wranglers, before returning to the NFL for a brief stint with the Chicago Bears, even making an emergency start against his former team, Detroit, in 1984.
Landry’s NFL career didn’t end on the field. He returned to the Lions in 1995 as the quarterbacks coach under head coach Wayne Fontes. He also held assistant coaching positions with the Cleveland Browns, the Chicago Bears, and at the college level with the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Born in Nashua, New Hampshire, Landry made his mark early on as a standout player at UMass, where he led the team in passing for three seasons and was their top rusher and scorer in 1965 and 1967. His accomplishments at the collegiate level earned him induction into the UMass Hall of Fame in 1980.
Greg Landry will be remembered not only for his versatility and accomplishments on the field but also for his contributions as a coach and mentor in the years that followed. His legacy will live on in Detroit and throughout the football community.
