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He led the league in interceptions in 1953 and tied for the league lead in 1957. Just like teams did on punt formations, opposing teams altered their passing patterns against Detroit. Many clubs had a standard rule when playing Detroit — don't throw in Christiansen's area, and don't punt to him.

Versus Finder. Checkout the latest stats for Jack Christiansen. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

Jack Christiansen, one of the best punt return specialists and pass defenders in Detroit Lions franchise history, passed away on June 29, 1986. According to Johnson, the 57-year-old Christiansen died three years after his initial prostate cancer diagnosis.

John LeRoy Christiansen (December 20, 1928 – June 29, 1986) was an American professional football player who became a college and pro coach. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions as a safety and return specialist from 1951 to 1958.

Christiansen went on to be the head football coach at Stanford University and with the San Francisco 49ers. He died in 1986; two years later Colorado State University named its new track facility “Jack Christiansen Track” in his honor. Other Accomplishments: Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (1967) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1970)