to 1949 and led the NFL with 83 return yards on two fumble recoveries in 1947. He was a member of the 1947 Cardinals team that won the NFL championship. In July 1950, Banonis' younger brother, Vic Banonis, was signed by the Cardinals after playing college football at Georgetown. However, his brother did not appear in any regular season games in the NFL. In 1951, Banonis was traded by the Cardinals to the Detroit Lions in exchange for offensive lineman Jack Simmons. Banonis appeared in 36 games at center for the Lions from 1951 to 1953 and played on the Lions' NFL championship teams in 1952 and 1953. The Lions signed center Joe Schmidt in 1953, and Banonis appeared in his last professional football game that year at age 32. Later years Banonis has been inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (1975) and the College Football Hall of Fame (1986). He died in 2010 at age 89 at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. He was buried at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield. References 1921 births 2010 deaths American football centers American football defensive tackles American people of Lithuanian descent Card-Pitt players Chicago Cardinals players College Football Hall of Fame inductees Detroit Titans football players Detroit Lions players Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football players Players of American football from Detroit Detroit Catholic Central High School alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II