The 10 Greatest NFL Players From the State of Kansas
By Erik Lambert
#5: Jack Christiansen
The Detroit Lions won three championships in the 1950s and a big reason for that success was perhaps the greatest secondary of the pre-Super Bowl era. Very few, if any ever had not one but two Hall of Famers in its midst. That was the case with Yale Lary and Jack Christiansen. It’s the latter who can sometimes be the forgotten man on those great teams. A five-time Pro Bowler, this is a man who had 41 interceptions in a five season span at one point.
Just one of the greatest ball hawks to ever lace up the cleats. It’s fair to wonder how much higher he’d be on this list had he played longer. Make no mistake, there really wasn’t much left for Christiansen to accomplish when he left. He had the stats, the accolades and three championship rings. Nonetheless leaving the game at just 31-years old left many to wonder if his masterpiece was never fully complete. Alas no one will ever know for sure.