The early 1990s in Detroit was a wild time for football. You had Barry Sanders making defenders look like they were ice skating in socks, and the Silverdome was arguably the loudest building in the NFL. But while Barry was the headliner, the defense was a gritty, often overlooked unit trying to keep pace in a league that was rapidly becoming pass-heavy. That’s where Harry Colon enters the picture. He wasn't a Hall of Famer, and he wasn't a perennial Pro Bowler, but for a specific stretch of Detroit Lions history, he was a vital gear in a machine that actually made the playoffs—something younger fans might find hard to believe.
Harry Colon was basically the definition of a "lunch pail" player.
Coming out of Missouri, he didn't have the draft pedigree of a top-ten pick. He was a eighth-round selection by the New England Patriots in 1991. If you know anything about the draft back then, an eighth-round pick was essentially a "let’s see if this guy can play special teams" flyer. He didn't stick in New England long, but he found a home in Detroit. Honestly, the Lions’ secondary during that era was a revolving door of talent and "what-ifs," and Colon managed to carve out a niche because he was willing to do the dirty work.
What Harry Colon Brought to the Detroit Lions Secondary
When people talk about the Harry Colon Detroit Lions era, they usually focus on 1992 through 1994. These were pivotal years. Wayne Fontes was the coach, a man who was as beloved by his players as he was criticized by the local media. Fontes loved guys who played with a certain chip on their shoulder. Colon fit that mold perfectly. He wasn't the biggest safety on the field, standing about 6'0", but he played with an aggressive physicality that was common in the 90s but would probably get you fined into oblivion today.
He played in 46 games for the Lions over three seasons. That’s a decent chunk of time.
In 1993, he actually started 13 games. This was a season where the Lions went 10-6 and won the NFC Central. Think about that for a second. The Lions were division champions. Colon was a part of a defensive backfield that had to deal with Brett Favre in Green Bay twice a year. You couldn’t be a liability back there, or Favre would exploit you before you even finished your backpedal. Colon finished his Lions tenure with a handful of interceptions and enough tackles to prove he wasn't afraid to stick his nose in the fan against the heavy power-running games of the NFC Central.
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The Gritty Reality of 90s Safety Play
Playing safety in the 90s was different. You weren't just a "center fielder." You were essentially a smaller linebacker who had to cover world-class athletes. Harry Colon’s job was often to be the enforcer. If a receiver came across the middle, it was Colon’s responsibility to make them regret it.
The stats don't always tell the whole story. You look at a guy's Pro Football Reference page and see two interceptions in a season and think, "Oh, he was average." But you have to look at the film. Colon was often the guy filling the gap when a running back broke through the line of scrimmage. He was a sure tackler. In a defense that featured guys like Bennie Blades—a legitimate legend in Detroit—Colon was the reliable secondary piece that allowed the stars to take risks.
It’s easy to forget how much the Lions relied on these "glue guys." While the world was watching Barry Sanders do things that defied the laws of physics, players like Harry Colon were holding the other side of the ball together just enough to get the win.
The Career Path After Detroit
Football careers are short. Brutally short, actually. After the 1994 season, Colon moved on to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s sort of a "fun fact" for jersey collectors that he was part of that inaugural 1995 Jaguars team. Going from a storied, albeit struggling, franchise like Detroit to a brand-new expansion team is a massive culture shock. He played one season there, appeared in all 16 games, and then his time in the NFL essentially wrapped up.
Why don't we hear his name more often? Probably because he played in the shadow of giants. In Detroit, if you weren't Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, or Chris Spielman, you were essentially background noise to the national media. But if you ask a Lions fan who actually sat in the Silverdome seats in '93, they'll remember the number 29 or 30 flying around.
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Misconceptions About the '93 Lions Defense
A lot of people think the Lions of that era had a terrible defense and were bailed out by the offense. That’s not entirely true. In 1993, the defense was actually middle of the pack—ranked 16th in points allowed. They weren't the '85 Bears, sure, but they were competent. Harry Colon was a starting safety on a top-half defense in the league. That’s a significant achievement for a guy who started his career as an eighth-round pick.
Often, fans conflate the late-90s decline with the early-90s success. In '93, the defense had a real identity. They were fast. They were aggressive. Colon was a cog in that machine. He wasn't the engine, but the machine doesn't run without the cog.
Why We Should Remember Players Like Harry Colon
In the modern era of "superteams" and 24-hour highlights, we tend to only care about the top 1% of players. The guys with the gold jackets. But the NFL is built on the backs of players who give four or five solid years of their lives to a city and then vanish into civilian life.
Harry Colon represents a specific flavor of Detroit Lions football. It was a time of hope. A time when winning the division felt like a regular possibility rather than a once-in-a-generation miracle. He was there for the high-water marks of the Fontes era.
He also represents the physical toll of the game. If you watch highlights from that era, the collisions were violent. Safeties like Colon were expected to hit like trucks every single Sunday. It’s a style of play that has largely been phased out for player safety—rightfully so—but it’s what defined his generation of athletes.
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Life After the Helmet
Most people lose track of players once they retire. After the NFL, Colon didn't just disappear into a beach house. He stayed involved in the sports world in various capacities, including coaching at the high school level. This is where the real impact of an NFL career often lies. He took the lessons he learned under Wayne Fontes and in the locker room with guys like Bennie Blades and passed them down to kids in Texas.
He coached at places like Fort Bend Austin and George Bush High School. Think about being a high school defensive back and having a guy who used to roam the secondary in the NFL teaching you how to read a quarterback's eyes. That’s a level of expertise you can't get from a textbook.
The Legacy of the 1990s Lions
When we look back at the Harry Colon Detroit Lions era, we see a franchise that was actually relevant. We see a team that had a pulse.
The 1990s were a bit of a tease for Lions fans. They had the best running back ever. They had a high-flying "Run and Shoot" offense. And they had a defense that, while not elite, was tough enough to win big games. Harry Colon was a part of that toughness. He wasn't there for the 0-16 years. He wasn't there for the "Same Old Lions" era of the 2000s. He was there when Detroit was a tough out for anybody in the league.
If you’re a younger fan, do yourself a favor. Go find some grainy YouTube footage of the 1993 Lions. Look past Barry Sanders for a second. Watch the secondary. Watch how they played with a total disregard for their own bodies. You’ll see guys like Harry Colon doing the work that never makes the "Top 10 Plays of the Month" but wins football games.
Actionable Insights for Lions Fans and Historians
If you are looking to dig deeper into this specific era of Detroit football or want to understand the impact of players like Colon, here are a few steps to take:
- Research the 1993 Season: Look into the box scores of the 1993 NFC Central clinching games. It provides context on how the defense, including Colon, stepped up when the offense struggled.
- Study the "Run and Shoot" Defense: The Lions ran a unique offensive system, which meant the defense was often on the field more than usual. Understand how that fatigue factor influenced the play of the secondary.
- Support Alumni Foundations: Many players from this era, including Colon, are involved in community work or coaching. Following these paths shows the long-term value of an NFL career beyond the stadium lights.
- Track the 8th Round Value: Since the NFL draft has been shortened to 7 rounds, look at how many "undrafted" types today mirror the career arc of an 8th rounder like Colon—it’s a testament to the grit required to stay in the league for five years.
Harry Colon’s story isn't a fairy tale of a superstar. It’s a real-world account of a professional who worked his way from the bottom of the draft to a starting role on a division-winning team. In the history of the Detroit Lions, that’s a legacy worth acknowledging.