Lions at Dolphins: Roster Connections
Lions Defensive Coordinator Paul Pasqualoni occupied the same role with the Dolphins from 2008-09. This marked his first time serving as a coordinator in the NFL.
Dolphins DT Akeem Spence spent the 2017 season with the Lions and played in all 16 games (11 starts) with 39 tackles (19 solo), 3.0 sacks and one forced fumble.
Dolphins C Travis Swanson played for the Lions for four seasons from 2014-17 after being drafted in the third round (76th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Dolphins Head Coach Adam Gase began his NFL career with the Detroit Lions as a scouting/coaching assistant in 2003 and became an offensive quality control coach in 2006. In his final year in Detroit in 2007, Gase served as the quarterbacks coach.
Dolphins C Wesley Johnson spent training camp with the Lions in 2018.
Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke spent five seasons as the Detroit Lions linebackers coach from 2009-13.
Dolphins Defensive Backs Coach Tony Oden spent four seasons (2014-17) coaching defensive backs and cornerbacks for Detroit.
Lions DT Ricky Jean Francois is a native of Miami, Fla., and attended Miami Carol City High School where he was rated as the No. 1 defensive line prospect in the state of Florida by Rivals.com. He was also the first two-time winner of the Dade (Fla.) County Male Athlete of the Year after claiming the award in 2004 and 2005. Away from the football field, Francois won state championships in shot put and discus as both a junior and senior, posting the nation's third-best throw in the shot put with a throw of 65 feet, 5 inches in 2005.
Lions CB Nevin Lawson is a native of Lauderhill, Fla., and played both cornerback and running back at Piper High School. He also earned a letter in track as a sprinter.
Lions RB LeGarrette Blount and Dolphins LB Kiko Alonso were teammates at Oregon in 2009 and helped the Ducks advance to the Rose Bowl against Ohio State.
Lions T Taylor Decker and Dolphins LB Raekwon McMillan were teammates at Ohio State for two seasons from 2014-15. They were also teammates with Dolphins LB Jerome Baker at Ohio State during the 2015 season.
Lions DE Kerry Hyder Jr. and Dolphins WR Jakeem Grant were teammates at Texas Tech from 2012-13.
Lions DE Romeo Okwara and Dolphins TE Durham Smythe were teammates at Notre Dame for two seasons from 2014-15.
Lions RB Theo Riddick was teammates with Dolphins OT Sam Young at Notre Dame in 2009. Young was also teammates with Lions WR Golden Tate for two seasons at Notre Dame from 2007-08.
Lions LB Devon Kennard and Dolphins S T.J. McDonald played on the same defense at Southern California from 2009-12.
Lions OL Frank Ragnow was teammates with Dolphins TE A.J. Derby and Dolphins LB Martrell Spaight at Arkansas in 2014.
Lions LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Dolphins OT Ja'Wuan James played together at Tennessee in 2013.
Lions QB Matthew Stafford and Dolphins FS Reshad Jones were teammates at Georgia from 2007-08.
Lions S Tavon Wilson played at Illinois with Dolphins DT Akeem Spence from 2010-11. Wilson also played with Dolphins CB Walt Aikens at Illinois in 2009.
Dolphins WR Danny Amendola, Dolphins RB Brandon Bolden, Lions RB LeGarrette Blount and Lions S Tavon Wilson played together with the Patriots in 2014 and helped the team claim Super Bowl XLIX.
Dolphins TE A.J. Derby, Dolphins WR Danny Amendola, and Lions RB LeGarrette Blount were teammates with the Patriots in 2016. The trio helped the team top the Falcons in Super Bowl LI after completing the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Lions DT Sylvester Williams and Dolphins TE A.J. Derby were teammates with the Broncos in 2016.
Lions DT Ricky Jean Francois and Dolphins RB Frank Gore were teammates with the 49ers from 2009-12. The duo helped San Francisco win the NFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl XLVII in 2012.
Lions FB Nick Bellore, Lions DE Kerry Hyder Jr. and Dolphins C Wesley Johnson were teammates with the Jets for one season in 2014.
Dolphins C/G Ted Larsen was teammates with Lions RB LeGarrette Blount from 2010-12 with the Buccaneers. Larson helped Blount rush for 1,007 yards which led all rookie running backs in 2010.
Lions RB LeGarrette Blount and Dolphins C Wesley Johnson were teammates in Pittsburgh for a portion of the 2014 season.
Lions LB Christian Jones, Lions CB Cre'von LeBlanc, Dolphins C/G Ted Larsen and Dolphins RB Senorise Perry were teammates with the Bears during the 2016 season.
Lions DT Ricky Jean Francois and Dolphins LB Martell Spaight were teammates with the Redskins for two seasons from 2015-16.
Lions Quarterbacks Coach George Godsey and Dolphins QB Brock Osweiler were together with the Texans in 2016, with Godsey serving as the offensive coordinator and Osweiler starting 14 games en route to Houston capturing the AFC South crown
