by Tom Funk

Created on: October 02, 2009

The Matthew Stafford era has begun in the Motor City, and the question on many Detroit Lions fans' minds is, will he be able to turn the team around. There is no simple answer to this question, as it involves many factors, many of which do not even pertain to the rookie quarterback himself. Let's begin by examining the young quarterback.

Matthew Stafford was born in 1988 in Tampa, Florida. His family moved to Dallas where Matthew would attend Highland Park High School, the very same high school as former Lions great Bobby Lane. Stafford would go on to be named one of the best high school quarterbacks in the United States. Stafford went on to play at the University of Georgia, becoming the first true freshman to start at quarterback since Quincy Carter. Once given the starting role, Stafford would lead the Bulldogs to the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl. He and the Bulldogs overcame an 18 point deficit to win the game.

Stafford enjoyed a successful college career, winning many awards. In April of 2009, the Detroit Lions made Stafford the number one pick in the NFL Draft. Coming off of a 0-16 season, there was much rebuilding to be done within the Lions organization, and many fans were not pleased with the selection, believing the Lions should have filled other glaring needs on defense or the offensive line. Coming into Detroit as the number one pick, Stafford inherited a 17 game losing streak, a city in economic decline and a team in desperate need of leadership. As a quarterback, Stafford is the lightening rod of the team, taking most of the praise in wins, and coming under fire in losses. Would he have what it takes to turn around a losing franchise? Let's take a look at what that encompasses.

A great deal of Stafford's success will rely heavily on coaching and his supporting cast. Stafford has an elite receiver in Calvin Johnson and a capable running back in Kevin Smith. The offensive line is questionable and the defense still has many holes to fill. After the 0-16 season, the Lions fired head coach Rod Marinelli and cleaned house in the front office, paving the way for new head coach Jim Schwartz, a former defensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans. New offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton come over to Detroit from St. Louis, where they will be responsible for shaping the rookie QB. Linehan was partly responsible for much of Daunte Culpepper's successful years in Minnesota, as he was the Viking's offensive coordinator during

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