Greg Landry, the former Detroit Lions quarterback and assistant coach, has passed away at the age of 77.
The Lions announced his death on social media on Friday, although no cause was provided. “We join the NFL community in mourning the loss of former Lions quarterback and coach Greg Landry,” the team stated.
Landry played in the NFL from 1968 to 1981, primarily with the Lions and the then-Baltimore Colts. After two seasons in the USFL, he returned to the NFL for one game with the Chicago Bears. Over his career, he threw for 16,052 yards, completing 98 touchdowns and 103 interceptions. He was also recognized as one of the best running quarterbacks, rushing for over 2,600 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Selected 11th overall by the Lions in the 1968 NFL Draft out of Massachusetts, Landry spent 11 seasons in Detroit, finishing with a career record of 40-41-3. His standout season came in 1971 when he threw for 2,237 yards and 16 touchdowns, earning first-team All-Pro honors and his only Pro Bowl selection.
In 1976, he was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year after passing for 2,191 yards and 17 touchdowns.
After his time in Detroit, Landry was traded to Baltimore, where he played three seasons with the Colts, recording a 3-10-1 record. He later played in the USFL for the Chicago Blitz (1983) and the Arizona Wranglers (1984) before serving as an emergency starter for the Bears against the Lions in 1984.
Landry returned to the Lions in 1995 as a quarterbacks coach under head coach Wayne Fontes. He also held assistant coaching roles with the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears, as well as coaching at the college level with Illinois.
Originally from Nashua, New Hampshire, Landry led UMass in passing for three seasons and was the team’s top rusher and scorer in 1965 and 1967. He was inducted into the UMass Hall of Fame in 1980.
