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| - Martha Firestone Ford stepped down as principal owner of the NFL's Detroit Lions on Tuesday with Sheila Ford Hamp replacing her mother in the role as chairman of the team. Firestone Ford, 94, took over the Lions following the 2014 death of husband William Clay Ford Sr., who bought the team in 1963. "It has been a great honor for our family to be associated with the Lions and with the NFL," Firestone Ford said in a statement. "I'm gratified that this family tradition, which my husband and I began almost six decades ago, will continue under Sheila's guiding hand. "It's clear to me that Sheila will provide superb leadership and is fully committed to competitive excellence and community involvement." The Lions are 1-12 in NFL playoff games since last winning the league crown in 1957, before the Super Bowl era began. The Lions were valued at $1.95 billion last September by Forbes magazine, the second-worst team value in the 32-club league, just 50 million ahead of the last-spot Buffalo Bills. Hamp has been prepared for the ownership role, being appointed to the NFL's Super Bowl and Major events advisory committee in 2019. "My mother has inspired all of us since taking on leadership of the Lions over six years ago," Ford Hamp said in a statement. "She has been a tireless leader to our family, our team and our community. "Her smart decisions have given me a solid foundation to take the team forward." NFL commissioner Roger Goodell praised Ford's years guiding the Lions, whose history dates to 1928. "Martha Ford has led the Lions with skill and grace for the past six seasons," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "I have appreciated her business insights, her love of the game, her deep commitment to the NFL, and her personal kindness. "We are pleased that the Ford family will continue to own and operate this historic franchise." js/dmc
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