Lions at. 49ers: Roster Connections

Lions FB Nick Bellore spent two seasons with the 49ers (2015-16). In 2016, he played linebacker and totaled 77 tackles (55 solo), five pass defenses, 1.0 sack, one interception and one forced fumble.

Lions G Kenny Wiggins spent two seasons (2012-13) with the 49ers and spent a majority of his time on the practice squad before being activated at the end of the 2013 season.

Lions LB Eli Harold spent the first three years (2015-17) of his career with the 49ers after being drafted in the third round (79th overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played in 48 games (24 starts) and amassed 84 total tackles (57 solo), 12 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks with the 49ers.

Lions DT Ricky Jean Francois spent the first four years (2009-12) of his career with the 49ers. He appeared in 51 games (five starts) and helped San Francisco capture the NFC crown in 2012 on their way to an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.

49ers OL Laken Tomlinson spent the first two years (2015-16) of his career with the Lions.

49ers TE Cole Wick played in six games for the Lions in 2016.

49ers T Joe Staley is a native of Rockford, Mich., and attended Rockford High School and Central Michigan University. Staley played for Rockford until 2003 and by appearing in Super Bowl XLVIII, he has allowed his former high school to become members of the Super Bowl High School Honor Roll, which allows alma maters of Super Bowl alumni to apply for grants from the NFL Foundation to support their football programs.

49ers TE Garrett Celek, who has an offseason lake house in nothern Michigan, played college football for Michigan State from 2008-11. He appeared in 38 games (12 starts) and recorded 14 receptions with 135 yards receiving and three touchdowns with the Spartans.

Lions G Kenny Wiggins is a native of Elk Grove, Calif., which is 95 miles from San Francisco. This past offseason, Wiggins returned home and partnered with Strikes for Kids to host a bowling event in Fresno, Calif. The event provided 125 backpacks filled with school supplies for children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County. The event also raised $5,800 with a silent auction allowing 200 children to be treated to a movie.

Lions LB Devon Kennard and 49ers LB Malcolm Smith anchored the Southern California defense during the 2009-10 seasons. The duo combined for 256 total tackles (130 solo) with three interceptions for the Trojans during their two seasons together.

Lions OL Tyrell Crosby, 49ers DL Arik Armstead and 49ers DL DeForest Buckner played together at Oregon during the 2014 season. The trio helped lead the Ducks to an appearance in the inaugural College Football Playoff Championship game against Ohio State.

Detroit Lions T Taylor Decker and 49ers DB Tyvis Powell were teammates at Ohio State for four years (2012-2015) and won a first ever College Football Playoff National Championship in 2015.

Lions DB Quandre Diggs and 49ers DB Adrian Colbert anchored the secondary at Texas for two seasons (2013- 14). The duo contributed 33 pass defenses and eight interceptions during their time on the back end of the Longhorn defense. Diggs and Colbert still train together in the offseason in Austin, Texas with other fellow NFL defensive backs. Diggs and 49ers WR Marquise Goodwin were teammates from 2011-12.

Lions C/G Graham Glasgow and 49ers OL Erik Magnuson were teammates at Michigan for three seasons (2013-15).

Lions RB Kerryon Johnson and 49ers T Shon Coleman played together during the 2015 season when Johnson rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns during his true freshman season with the Tigers.

Lions P Sam Martin and 49ers DL Ronald Blair III were teammates at Appalachian State during the 2011 and • 2012 season.

Lions WR TJ Jones, Lions DE Romeo Okwara, 49ers DL Sheldon Day, and 49ers T Mike McGlinchey were teammates at Notre Dame during the 2013 season.

Lions TE Levine Toilolo and 49ers G Joshua Garnett were teammates at Stanford during the 2012 season.

Lions DT Ricky Jean Francois and 49ers WR Pierre Garcon were teammates with the Redskins from 2015-16. Both of Haitian descent, the pair flew to Haiti during the 2016 season to donate medical supplies and manpower to the country after a devestating Category 4 storm killed more than 1,000 people. Jean Francois wrote a first-hand reflection of what that trip meant to him in The Players' Tribune in 2016.

Lions Head Coach Matt Patricia and 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo worked together with the Patriots from 2014- 16 and part of the 2017 season. Lions RB LeGarrette Blount was teammates with Garoppolo from 2014-16.

Lions TE Luke Willson, Lions WR Golden Tate, 49ers CB Richard Sherman, 49ers LB Malcom Smith, and 49ers OL Mike Pearson were teammates with the Seattle Seahawks during the 2013 season and helped guide Seattle to a win in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Lions S Glover Quin and 49ers NT Earl Mitchell played with the Texans from 2010-12 and helped the club earn two playoff berths in that span.

Lions T Rick Wagner and 49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk were teammates with the Baltimore Ravens for from 2013-16.