Rich Strenger Richard Gene Strenger ( born March 10 , 1960 ) is a former All - Big Ten American football offensive tackle who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines ( 1980 – 1982 ) and Detroit Lions ( 1983 – 1987 ) . He is now working as a lawyer in Lake Orion , Michigan . High school and college . Strenger began in football as a speedy , 218 - pound end for Grafton High School in Grafton , Wisconsin . In 1977 , he was named All - Metro at the end position after catching four touchdown passes , including a 41 - yard reception . At Michigan , Strenger grew into a six - foot , seven inch , 285 pound lineman and became an intimidating presence in the Michigan offensive line from 1980 – 1982 . In 1981 , he was a backup to Ed Muransky and Bubba Paris , and in 1982 , he started all 12 games for the Big Ten champion Wolverines . In 1982 , Strenger ' s blocking led the ways for tailback Lawrence Ricks to rush for 1 , 428 yards . He was named All - Big Ten at offensive tackle and honorable mention All - America in 1982 . In the 1983 Rose Bowl game , Strenger injured his ankle on the third play of the game and did not return to the lineup as the Wolverines lost to UCLA , 21 - 14 . Strenger was also selected to play for the East Squad in the 58th East - West Shrine Game on January 15 , 1983 at Stanford Stadium . Professional football . Strenger was the Detroit Lions ' second - round draft pick ( 40th selection overall ) in the 1983 NFL Draft . He played in 49 NFL games , including all 16 games for the Lions in 1983 . He had earned the starting tackle job in 1984 , but he sustained torn ligaments in his right knee in the seventh play of the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers on September 2 , 1984 , and underwent surgery . Lions coach Monte Clark said of the loss of Strenger , " That ' s a disaster . " He underwent surgery and missed the entire 1984 season and much of the 1985 season while recuperating . On returning to football after his injury , Strenger said , " Sometimes I feel like a rookie out there . In some ways , it ' s a new challenge to earn my position back , but I ' m really anxious to get out there and do some hitting . " Starting mid - way through the 1985 season , Strenger started 22 consecutive games and was considered Detroit ’ s comeback player of the year in 1986 . He started all 16 games and played every offensive snap in 1986 on an offensive line that included Keith Dorney and Lomas Brown . Strenger was a leader on the Lions ' offensive line , opening holes for Billy Sims ( 1 , 040 yards rushing in 1983 ) and James Jones ( 903 yards rushing in 1986 ) . Comparing the college and pro training regimens , Strenger once noted that Bo Schembechler ran a more strenuous training camp than the Lions : " Things were tougher at Michigan , but they could afford to be because camp was only four weeks long . This is six weeks long , so there is more attention given to not tiring people out . " The injuries caught up with Strenger as he was placed on injured reserve by the Lions in November 1987 and did not play in the NFL again . Strenger signed with the Buffalo Bills in May 1988 but did not make the team . After trying to make the Bills team in 1988 and 1989 , Strenger was waived by the Bills on August 30 , 1989 . In September 2006 , Strenger was honored by the Lions as the Alumni Honorary Captain for the Lions - Green Bay Packers game at Ford Field . Legal career . Strenger later received his law degree from the Detroit College of Law of Michigan State University in 1999 , and worked with the law firm of Butzel Long in Bloomfield Hills , Michigan , before opening the Law Offices of Rich Strenger in Lake Orion , Michigan . He was named Volunteer of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2003 by the board of directors and staff of Community Legal Resources in Detroit . In December 2007 , Strenger was hired by the North Oakland Transportation Authority to respond to allegations that the agency ' s director , Pat Fitchena , had engaged in misconduct and abuse of staff members .