William Clay Ford, the leader of the Ford Family and the grandson of automaker Henry Ford, died this morning at the age of 88. A Ford executive in the early 1960s, he bought the Detroit Lions in 1963 for $6 million. He was known in the NFL for his tremendous loyalty, keeping staff on for years even thought the Lions won only one playoff game during his entire tenure. “From the first day that I meant him on my interview to the very last, he's a special human being,” said Bobby Ross, the Lions head coach from 1997-2000. Ford is survived by his wife Martha and his four children, including son Bill Jr., who is the team's vice chairman.
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