Jack Christiansen Jack Leroy Christiansen ( December 20 , 1928 – June 29 , 1986 ) was an football player and coach and is perhaps most recognized for his eight - year Hall of Fame playing career with the Detroit Lions in the National Football League . Following his retirement in Detroit , he also served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for nearly five seasons , then later served in the same capacity at Stanford University . Playing career . Born in Sublette , Kansas , Christiansen ' s humble beginnings included being raised in an orphanage . He played three seasons of football at Colorado State University , and was a sixth round draft pick of the Lions in 1951 . In his first year with the team , he became an integral part of the defensive backfield , a unit that would become known as " Chris ' s Crew " , in tribute to his leadership . As strong as his defense was , Christiansen also developed a well - deserved reputation as the most dangerous return man in the game , returning eight punts for touchdown s during his career . In both situations , opponents changed their strategy to avoid either throwing near or kicking toward him . In both 1952 and 1953 , Christiansen helped the Lions to an NFL championship , leading the league in interceptions with 12 during the latter season . He continued this high standard of play , tying for the interception lead with 10 pickoffs in 1957 to help the Lions win their third title in six years , then retired after the conclusion of the 1958 NFL season . His 46 career interceptions ranks fourth on the Lions ' all - time list . As a punt returner , he had 85 returns for 1 , 084 yards , and his 12 . 8 average still stands as a Detroit record and is third all - time in NFL history . His 21 . 5 average for the 1952 season ( 15 for 322 ) is second all - time to Herb Rich ' s 1950 mark of 23 . 0 yards for the Baltimore Colts . He is tied with Lem Barney at 11 for the most return touchdowns in Detroit history . Christiansen still has the team record with eight punt return touchdowns . He was the first player in NFL history to record two punt return touchdowns in the same game . In fact , he returned two punts for touchdowns in the same game twice in his career ( vs . Los Angeles October 14 , 1951 and vs . Green Bay November 22 , 1951 ) , and is still just one of three players in league history to accomplish this feat . After winning All - Pro six consecutive years from ( 1952 – 1957 ) and playing in five consecutive Pro Bowl s beginning in 1954 , Christiansen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970 . He was recognized in the 1972 " Football Digest " as one of the top 25 players ever to play in the NFL . He was an All - NFL defensive back for six - straight years , played in five Pro Bowls ( opening the 1956 game with a 103 - yard kickoff return ) and led the league in interceptions twice . He was a member of the All - Decade Team of the 1950s . In 1999 , he was ranked number 86 on " The Sporting News " ' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players . Coaching career . Christiansen stayed in the game , accepting an assistant coaching position with the 49ers under Red Hickey on January 22 , 1959 , joining a staff that included his former college coach , Mark Duncan . After just over four years of inconsistent play , Hickey resigned on September 30 , 1963 , with Christiansen receiving the promotion to head coach . In that season ' s final 11 games , the 49ers won only twice , but held the distinction of being the only team to defeat the eventual NFL champion Chicago Bears . Over the succeeding four years , San Francisco continued to struggle , with Christiansen ' s best season coming in 1965 when the team was 7 - 6 - 1 . The 49ers began the 1967 NFL season with five wins in their first six games , but won only two more games the remainder of the campaign , resulting in Christiansen ' s dismissal on December 20 , 1967 , while ending his tenure with a record of 26 - 38 - 3 . After briefly serving as a consultant to the Colorado State athletic program , Christiansen returned to coaching as an assistant under John Ralston at Stanford in April 1968 . During this period , the Indians ( their previous nickname ) pulled off consecutive Rose Bowl upsets of Ohio State University and the University of Michigan . When Ralston left to coach the NFL ' s Denver Broncos , Christiansen first considered following him back to Colorado , but instead was hired as Stanford ' s head coach on January 21 , 1972 , after fellow assistant Mike White turned the job down . Christiansen would spend five years as Stanford ' s head coach , and was fired on November 19 , 1976 after compiling a 30 - 22 - 3 record . Some of the reasons for the dismissal were Christiansen ' s troubles in recruiting players to the school , known for its top academics , his more player - friendly approach that brought criticism about a lack of discipline , and his blunt approach to dealing with a vocal alumni group . Following his dismissal , Christiansen returned to the professional ranks , working one year with the Kansas City Chiefs . Following a coaching change , he was hired on April 24 , 1978 by the Seattle Seahawks as the team ' s defensive back s coach . He served five years in the Northwest before another coaching change sent him looking for work following the strike - shortened 1982 NFL season . He found his final coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons on February 18 , 1983 , serving only one year before resigning on January 24 , 1984 after being diagnosed with cancer . Over the next 30 months , Christiansen continued to battle the disease . Just six weeks before his death , he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame , an honor that recognized his Lions career . He died after never regaining consciousness following additional cancer surgery .