Key player in Lions’ last championship win dies at 88

Matt Jaworowski
·2 min read
5

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Steve Junker, a key member of the Detroit Lions’ last championship team, has died. According to his obituary, Junker died on Dec. 13, surrounded by his family. He was 88 years old.

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The Cincinnati native had a standout career at the University of Xavier before he was drafted in the fourth round by the Lions in the 1957 NFL Draft.

Junker spent six years in the NFL, four with Detroit and two with Washington, before retiring due to chronic knee issues.

His rookie season was his strongest. Junker played in 12 games and started seven, making 22 catches for 305 yards and four touchdowns in a run-heavy league.

He made his mark in the playoffs. Junker hauled in eight catches for 92 yards and a score in the Lions’ 31-27 win over San Francisco in the Western Conference Championship game. He recorded five catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns in the teams’ 59-14 win over the Cleveland Browns to claim the NFL title.

Junker’s postseason surge gained plenty of attention. He finished tied for second place for NFL Rookie of the Year behind Jim Brown.

But his second season went off the rails before Week One. According to the Detroit Free Press, Junker hurt his knee during spring practice and then again shortly before the start of the season. Junker missed the entire 1958 season and managed to play in six games in 1959 but was only used as a blocker and didn’t record a catch. He played 12 games in 1960, recording just nine catches for 130 yards and no scores. He put up similar stats in his two years in Washington before hanging up his cleats.

According to his obituary, Junker worked as an NFL scout after his retirement before leaving football to start a career in real estate.

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