Pittsburgh acquired rookies Dave Liddick and Jack Kemp from…
Pittsburgh acquired rookies Dave Liddick and Jack Kemp from Detroit on September 12, 1957 for a 1958 draft choice whose exact selection remains disputed in the surviving transaction record. Liddick played 10 games with three starts for Pittsburgh that season, while Kemp appeared in nine games. The precise player Detroit ultimately obtained from the pick is not resolved.
Detroit Lions Received
- pick 1958 draft pick (exact selection disputed; possibly #92 Karl Koepfer or #103 Jim Loftin)
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- player Dave Liddick
- player Jack Kemp
Trade Analysis
The core September 12, 1957 transaction is well documented. Pro Sports Transactions records Detroit sending Dave Liddick and Jack Kemp to Pittsburgh for a 1958 draft pick, while also flagging the downstream selection as uncertain: the pick may have become No. 92 Karl Koepfer or No. 103 Jim Loftin. That uncertainty is important because the legacy TradeVerdicts row presented both possibilities inside one asset string without explaining why the mapping was unresolved. The source-safe approach is to preserve the disputed pick identity rather than force one player into the chain. Both incoming Steelers were Detroit draft choices from the 1957 class. Pro Football Hall of Fame draft records show Liddick selected in the eighth round at No. 95 overall and Kemp in the seventeenth round at No. 203. Detroit moved both before the regular season, giving Pittsburgh two rookies for one future draft asset. Pittsburgh received measurable short-term production. Pro Football Reference records Liddick appearing in 10 regular-season games for the Steelers in 1957 with three starts on the defensive line. Pro Football Archives records Kemp appearing in nine Pittsburgh games that same season. Kemp did not become the later AFL star while under Pittsburgh's control, but the Steelers still received active-roster depth from both players during 1957. Detroit's realized side cannot be graded with the same precision because the exact 1958 selection has not been conclusively identified in the reviewed public transaction history. TradeVerdicts therefore does not credit either Koepfer or Loftin as a verified Lions return. The available evidence supports retaining an Even Trade verdict and C grades for both clubs: Pittsburgh got 19 combined player-games from the two rookies, while Detroit obtained a future draft asset whose precise downstream value remains unresolved. Confidence is medium rather than low because the date, teams and two-player package are strongly supported; only the pick's exact identity remains unsettled.