Former Detroit Lions, Michigan State title winning quarterback Jim Ninowski dies at 88

Former Michigan State football and Detroit Lions quarterback Jim Ninowski died Tuesday, July 23 at the age of 88, his family has announced.

Ninowski was a star athlete at Pershing High School, where he played football, basketball and baseball before eventually heading up to East Lansing.

That's where Ninowski played for legendary MSU football coach Duffy Daugherty, starting a storied career. Ninowski led the Spartans to the 1957 national championship in his senior season before taking his talents to the NFL.

The quarterback was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1958 and played two seasons with the Browns before eventually ending up with his hometown team, the Lions. He played in Detroit during the 1960 and 1961 seasons, starting 18 games with a 9-8-1 record. After his two seasons with the Lions, Ninowski went back to Cleveland for the next five years of his career before spending two years with Washington and then the final year of his career with the New Orleans Saints.

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According to football reference, Ninowski threw for 7,133 yards and 34 touchdowns in his career while completing 49% of his passes.

"Jim leaves a legacy of what living with true integrity and love looks like," his family said in his obituary. "His incredible sense of humor and belly laugh, no matter the circumstance, left a contagious and positive impression wherever he was. Even in the last months before his passing — difficult and filled with discomfort — Jim never lost his smile, his gratitude or his ability to find humor in any situation."

This story has been updated to reflect that Ninowski and the Spartans won the 1957 national championship, but did not win the Rose Bowl that year.