2nd
season in pro football & with Lions
College: Colorado
A & M (now Colorado State)
Height: 6’1” Weight: 180
Prelude:
Christiansen initially
concentrated on track but became an all-conference football selection at
Colorado A & M in 1949 and ’50 and was chosen by the Lions in the sixth
round of the 1951 NFL draft. While he starred on both offense and defense in
college, Head Coach Buddy Parker put Christiansen on defense as a free safety where
he intercepted two passes. He also was an explosive punt returner who averaged
19.1 yards on 18 returns that included four touchdowns. Opposing teams altered
their punt return coverage in an effort to contain him.
1952 Season Summary
Appeared in 11
of 12 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Interceptions
– 2
Return yards
– 47
Fumbles
recovered – 1
TDs – 0
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 16
[10, tied with Woodley Lewis & Don Stevens]
Yards – 409 [10]
Average per
return – 25.6 [6]
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 46 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 15
[14]
Yards – 322 [5]
Average per
return – 21.5 [1]
TDs – 2 [1,
tied with Woodley Lewis, Ray Mathews & Johnny Williams]
Longest
return – 79 yards
Rushing
Attempts – 19
Yards – 148
Yards per
attempt – 7.8
TDs – 2
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 3
Yards – 32
Yards per
catch – 10.7
TDs – 0
Scoring
TDs – 4
Points – 24
Postseason: 2
G
Rushing
attempts – 4
Rushing yards
– 9
Average gain
rushing – 2.3
Rushing TDs –
0
Pass
receptions – 1
Pass
receiving yards – 5
Pass
receiving TDs – 0
Kickoff
returns – 3
Kickoff
return yards – 71
Kickoff
return average – 23.7
Kickoff
return TDs – 0
Punt returns
– 1
Punt return
yards – 18
Punt return
TDs – 0
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP
2nd
team All-NFL: UPI
Lions went 9-3
to finish first in the NFL National Conference, tied with the Los Angeles Rams,
while leading the league in fewest rushing yards allowed (1145) and fewest
points allowed (192). Won National Conference playoff over Los Angeles Rams
(31-21) & NFL Championship over Cleveland Browns (17-7).
Aftermath:
Christiansen
was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection in each of the next five seasons,
when he was also chosen to the Pro Bowl. Leader of the outstanding defensive
backfield that became known as “Chris’ Crew”, he twice led the league in
interceptions and ended up with 46 in all, three of which were returned for
TDs. The Lions won four Western Conference titles and three NFL Championships
during his tenure with the club, which ended in 1958. His first two years were
his best for returning punts, and he ended up with a 12.8-yard average on 85
returns that included eight touchdowns. Christiansen later went into coaching
and was head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1963 to ’67 and collegiately
at Stanford from 1972 to ’76. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of
Fame, Class of 1970.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
