In his second NFL season, Stanfel played for the 1953 Lions team that repeated as NFL champion, compiling a 10–2 record and again defeating the Browns in the 1953 NFL Championship Game. At the end of the 1953 regular season, the Lions players voted Stanfel as the team's most valuable player. Assistant coach Forte in December 1953 called Stanfel the best guard in the NFL, and Stanfel said that the MVP honor was "the biggest thrill I've ever received in football." He was also selected as a Pro Bowl player and was named a first-team All-NFL player by both the Associated Press (AP) and United Press (UP).