Where are they now: Dexter Bussey - detroitlions.com

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Bussey was recruited to Oklahoma out of high school in Dallas.

He had to make a major decision in college. Playing running back under two coaching legends at Oklahoma – Chuck Fairbanks as head coach, Barry Switzer as offensive coordinator – Bussey knew the deck was stacked against him.

"There were like 15 to 16 players just like me," he said. "I came in as a running back. I had the option of playing defense and wide receiver as well. We didn't really throw the ball. That wasn't an option. They never decided what position I was going to play.

"In spring ball, if they decided to move me back to defense, I was going to stay. There were a multitude of running backs."

When he was left at running back after his freshman year he transferred to Texas-Arlington, where he had three solid seasons and caught the eye of a Lions scout in a workout before the 1974 draft.

"I figured I'd get some attention," Bussey said. "I just didn't know what kind of attention. When Detroit came to scout me, they would tell me stories later on that I ran a 4.5 40 after practice in full gear. I scratched my head, if I did that. I was good at slashing. I was good at changing direction."

He was drafted in the third round, and 65th overall.

Injuries as a rookie in 1974 and again in 1977 limited his playing time, but when healthy he was productive as the lead runner. He rushed for 696 yards in 1975 and 858 in '76 – both 14-game seasons. He hit his career high of 923 in 1978, the NFL's first 16-game season.

He added 625 yards in 1979, a disastrous year when the Lions finished 2-14 and got the right to draft Sims with the first pick in 1980.

By then, Bussey had put down deep roots in Metro Detroit.

At Texas-Arlington some basketball players from Detroit had told him stories about Motown and other parts of the city.

Bussey embraced the city from the beginning. The 1974 season was the last time the Lions played their home games at Tiger Stadium. Bussey enjoyed frequenting some of the establishments for lunch with teammates or after practice and games.

"I got a chance to meet a ton of legends with my good friend Michael Danielewicz," Bussey said.

Among them were basketball stars George Gervin and Rudy Tomjanovich.

The lifestyle changed when the Lions moved to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1975.

"The socializing wasn't what it was in Detroit," he said. "None of that existed in Pontiac. We probably saved a lot of money. We didn't have anything to do. It was nothing like Detroit."

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Where are they now: Dexter Bussey - detroitlions.com
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