What’s the meaning of “WCF” on the Detroit Lions’ jerseys?
While they will be hoping to claim a piece of history for themselves, the Detroit Lions will be taking a piece of it into their Wild Card Round showdown.
The Detroit Lions don’t have a trophy hall laden with silverware, but despite the team’s lack of success, it is undoubtedly one of the most famous in the NFL and one that is steeped in history. Indeed, a piece of that history can be seen on the team’s sleeve?
The Detroit Lions are iconic and so is “WCF”
As one of the oldest football franchises - it was formed in 1929 - the Detroit Lions are by far one of the most well-known of the NFL’s teams. Of course, the blue and steel grey don’t hurt either, as they only help to create a look that’s known the world over. The point is, that the Lions have been around for quite some time, and along their journey, there’s been quite a bit of history. That brings us to the letters “WCF” that you’ve probably seen on the Lions’ jerseys - the left sleeve to be precise - in honor of a rather interesting piece of the franchise’s story.
OK, what does “WCF” on the Lions’ jerseys mean?
The letters are a direct reference to William Clay Ford Sr., the owner of the Lions from 1963 until he died in 2014. Today, the franchise is owned by his daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp.
Who was William Clay Ford Sr.?
Having grown up in Detroit, it was somewhat of a natural progression when Ford first joined the franchise in 1961. He would eventually go on to buy out the shareholders of the team in 1963 for the price of $4.5 million, but not before serving as a minority owner and later on, president. Apart from his role in Detroit’s football team, he also served on the boards of both the Ford Motor Company and the Edison Institute. Following his death in 2014, it was his wife, Martha, who assumed the position of owner until granting it to her daughter, the aforementioned Sheila Ford Hamp, in 2020.
So, ‘is there a connection with Henry Ford?’, is probably what you’re wondering. As a matter of fact, there is. William Clay Ford Sr. is actually the youngest child of Henry Ford’s son, Edsel. To that end, he was the last surviving grandchild of the Ford Motor Company’s founder who died in 1947 at the age of 83. This of course brings us back to the present, where the Lions have been featuring “WCF” on their jerseys since 2014, shortly after their former owner passed away. That’s to say that while they may lack titles, they’ve got history to build on.