Guard
6 ft. 3 in., 236 lbs.
Detroit Lions (1952-55), Washington Redskins (1956-58)
Birthplace: San Francisco
Alma mater: University of San Francisco
Stanfel is one of two finalists who played in the 1950s and was put up for election by the Seniors Committee, the other being Pittsburgh Steeler cornerback Jack Butler. While it鈥檚 tempting to pass over these old-timers altogether, we like the idea of paying homage to at least one star from the NFL鈥檚 Dark Ages. Neither Stanfel nor Butler had a long career. Butler鈥檚 was cut short after nine seasons by injury, and Stanfel鈥檚 was even shorter 鈥� just seven seasons 鈥� due to his decision to go into coaching. Although Stanfel鈥檚 career was exceedingly brief, two things he accomplished caught our eye. After being sidelined by injury for his entire 1951 rookie season, he was a key player in the team鈥檚 success the next two seasons, when the Lions won back-to-back NFL championships. Furthermore, he was named Detroit鈥檚 Most Valuable Player in 1953, an almost unheard of honor for an offensive lineman.
