Detroit Lions: The Most Underrated Players In Team History
Herman Moore, Brett Perriman and Johnnie Morton
While Barry Sanders gained most of the attention on the Lions’ offense during the 90s, Herman Moore, Brett Perriman and Johnnie Morton made up one of the premier receiving corps in the NFL. Moore and Perriman each joined the team in 1991, Moore as a first-round draft pick and Perriman after three quiet seasons with the New Orleans Saints, and they would go on to combine for over 11,000 receiving yards during their six years as teammates. Morton was drafted by the Lions in the first round in 1994.
The three had their most prolific season in 1995, combining for over 3,500 receiving yards as the Lions offense became one of the most dominant in the NFL. Both Moore and Perriman caught over 100 passes during the season, the first teammates to do so in NFL history, while Moore set a then-NFL record with 123 receptions.
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Moore was the most decorated of the three over the course of their careers, going to four Pro Bowls while Perriman and Morton were never named to the team. Moore and Morton continued to be productive after Perriman left Detroit after the 1996 season, combining for over 2,000 yards receiving in both 1997 and 1998.
By the time Morton and Moore left Detroit after the 2001 season, the trio had combined for ten 1,000-yard seasons, 20,917 receiving yards, 1,567 receptions and 122 touchdowns for the Lions over 11 seasons. Calvin Johnson has since eclipsed most of the records they set as individuals, but all three of them remain near the top of most Lions receiving record lists.
| Careers with the Lions | |||||
| Seasons | Games | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | |
| Herman Moore | 1991-2001 | 145 | 670 | 9,174 | 62 |
| Brett Perriman | 1991-1996 | 94 | 428 | 5,244 | 25 |
| Johnnie Morton | 1994-2001 | 126 | 469 | 6,499 | 35 |
| Totals | 365 | 1,567 | 20,917 | 122 |
In recent years, Moore has been a part of the local Lions TV pregame broadcast team. Perriman’s son, Breshad Perriman, is currently a receiver with the Baltimore Ravens. Morton appeared on “The Tonight Show” in 2001 and made a cameo appearance in the film “Jerry Maguire.”
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