Former Lions, Redskins, Rams DB Doll dies at 84

Don Doll, a standout defensive back who was part of Detroit's 1952 NFL championship team and later coached the Lions, has died. He was 84.

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The Lions said Tuesday that Doll, a four-time Pro Bowl selection (and MVP of the 1952 Pro Bowl), died last Wednesday in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The team didn't announce a cause of death.

Doll had at least 10 interceptions in three different seasons -- 11 as a rookie in 1949, 12 in 1950 and 10 in 1953, his only year with the Washington Redskins -- the only NFL player to accomplish that feat. He intercepted four passes in one game against the Chicago Cardinals as a rookie in 1949.

Doll played safety for the Lions from 1949 to '52, and he also played one season with the Los Angeles Rams.

Doll was a four-year letterman and a 1948 All-Pacific Coast Conference halfback at USC, playing in the 1945 Rose Bowl, in which the Trojans beat Tennessee, and again in 1949, when they lost to Michigan. He led USC in rushing in 1944, '47 and '48 and ran for 1,067 career yards. He also led the team in receptions and scoring in '48.

Doll missed the 1945 season while serving in the Marines. USC said Doll was aboard the USS Missouri when the Japanese signed surrender papers on the ship to end World War II.

Doll was an assistant coach at the University of Washington in 1955, and he served in the same capacity at USC in 1957 and '58. Doll returned to the Lions as a coach in 1963 and '64 and again from 1978 to 1988. He was defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Colts in 1974 and for the Miami Dolphins in 1975 and '76.

Doll, a member of the Lions' 75th anniversary team selected two years ago, is survived by his wife, Diana; children Steven, Wendy, Kevan, Heidi and Michael; six grandchildren and one great grandchild.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.