Allen Park, MI -- (Sports Network) - Detroit native Larry Foote signed a one-year contract with the Lions on Wednesday, two days after the linebacker was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

After basking in the euphoria of winning a Super Bowl with Pittsburgh last season, Foote now joins a club that reached rock bottom in 2008. The Lions finished 0-16 last season to become the first team since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to complete a full season without a victory.

"The way I look at it, there's only one winner at the end of the year and the rest of the 31 teams are losers," Foote said. "From that standpoint, every year is a different year. It's a new challenge. Right now everybody has got the same record. But I don't believe in rebuilding. I think if you get enough guys out there that all have the common goal and want to play for each other, you can win."

Foote came into the league out of Michigan as a fourth-round draft pick by Pittsburgh in 2002, appearing in 14 games -- three starts -- in his rookie campaign and recording 20 tackles.

He had been a durable starter for the vaunted Steelers defense, appearing in the staring lineup for 80 consecutive games over the last five seasons, including both of the last two Pittsburgh Super Bowl victories. Out of the five campaigns, he had his lowest statistical totals in 2008, recording just 63 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. His best season was arguably 2005, when he had 102 tackles and three sacks as the Steelers won their fifth-ever Super Bowl title over Seattle.

He has career totals of 431 tackles and 14 1/2 sacks in 110 games for the Steelers.