What Are the Patches on the Detroit Lions' Jerseys and What Do They Mean?
Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions looks to throw a pass during the second half of a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field on January 07, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit’s jerseys include a few nods to the team’s history.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford returns to the Motor City where he spent the first dozen years of his National Football League (NFL) career donning a Lions jersey for a Wild Card matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Speaking of jerseys, Detroit’s features a few nods to the team’s history that eagle-eyed viewers of the Sunday Night Football (SNF) broadcast on NBC are sure to catch. The franchise’s Honolulu blue, grey, and white uniforms feature a large “90” patch on the left side of each player’s chest this season, plus the letters “WCF” on their left sleeve.
Wondering why? Here’s a breakdown.
What Does ‘WCF’ Stand for on Lions’ Jerseys?
The white “WCF” lettering over blue stripes on Detroit’s jerseys is a way the franchise honors late team owner William Clay Ford Sr.
Ford, the last surviving grandson of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, died of pneumonia in his home at the age of 88 in 2014 just five days shy of his 89th birthday. The Detroit native purchased the Lions in 1963 for what the NFL reports as $6 million.
“No owner loved his team more than Mr. Ford loved the Lions,” team president Tom Lewand said at the time in a statement after Ford’s death. “Those of us who had the opportunity to work for Mr. Ford knew of his unyielding passion for his family, the Lions and the city of Detroit. His leadership, integrity, kindness, humility and good humor were matched only by his desire to bring a Super Bowl championship to the Lions and to our community. Each of us in the organization will continue to relentlessly pursue that goal in his honor.”
To reciprocate that love, the Lions started wearing a “WCF” patch in 2014 in Ford’s memory. The letters have been part of Detroit’s uniform since. In 2016, the team made “WCF” a permanent addition to its jerseys in similar fashion to how the Chicago Bears honor their former owner George S. Halas.
Ford’s wife, Martha Firestone Ford, now 98, took over as team owner after her husband’s death. Sheila Ford Hamp succeeded her mother as principal owner and chair of the Lions in 2020.
Why Is a ’90’ Patch on Detroit’s Uniform?
The patch on the front of every Lions player’s uniform, just above their jersey numbers, commemorates the franchise’s 90th season.
It includes blue numerals and a white lion in front of a background containing the team’s colors. Inspiration for the 90th season patch comes as an homage to Detroit’s team logo from the 1960s, the team said last year.
“It is truly amazing that we are celebrating 90 seasons of Lions football,” Hamp said in a statement last year accompanying the franchise’s 90th season announcements. “My family is proud to have been associated with the organization for 60 of those years and cherish the relationship the team has with the NFL, the city of Detroit, and our amazing Lions fans around the world. We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with our fans throughout the upcoming season.”
The Lions are hoping to cap off their 90th campaign by accomplishing a franchise-first. Detroit enters the postseason still in search of an elusive Super Bowl title. The Lions (12-5) just won their division for the first time since the 1993 season and will host the Rams (10-7) in the franchise’s first home playoff game in three decades at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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