April 23, 1989 might have been the best day in the history of the Lions. Which is a bit like saying the warmest day in the history of Pluto. Or the brightest day in the history of the ocean floor.
But we digress.
On this day 31 years ago, the Lions entered perhaps the best draft in NFL history with the third overall pick. After the Cowboys took Troy Aikman first overall, the Packers had their choice of three more future Hall-of-Famers in CB Deion Sanders, LB Derrick Thomas and RB Barry Sanders.
So Green Bay took Michigan State OL Tony Mandarich, the only bust of the top five.
That allowed the Lions to take the greatest player in franchise history at No. 3. Sanders, the reigning Heisman winner, made the Pro Bowl each of his 10 seasons in Detroit and led the NFL in rushing four times. He was Rookie of the Year in 1989 and MVP in 1997.
"I was so happy," he said. "I was kinda scared. I thought Detroit was gonna take me. I would've asked for so much money, they'd have had to put me on layaway."
With the Lions holding the third overall pick in this year's draft, here's hoping they can recreate history.