“Interceptions were my forte, ” Barney admitted to Buckley. ’ ” Barney went on to become the team ’s co-leader in interceptions and was named the NFL ’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1967. I thought to myself, “Lord, this is going to be easy. First pass ever thrown my way in the NFL and I took it in. I read it, dive for the ball and grab it, do a forward somersault, get up and run 24 yards for the score. Second play, Bart Starr tries a short out to Boyd Dowler. ![]() “I remember every detail, ” Barney told James Buckley, Jr of NFL Publishing. In his first professional game with the Lions, Barney returned an interception for a touchdown against the legendary Green Bay Packers. After earning a bachelor ’s degree in health and science in 1967, Barney was a second round draft pick of the Detroit Lions, a team he would play for throughout his career. At Jackson State University in Mississippi, Barney had 26 interceptions in three seasons and was the team ’s punter. A player since grade school, he went on to excel at the high school level as a defensive back and was also utilized as a punter, quarterback, kick returner, and holder. He went on to become a finance director for former teammate Mel Farr at his auto dealership in Detroit, and continued to work on behalf of his community.īorn Lemuel Jackson Barney in Gulfport, Mississippi in 1945, Barney had an early affinity for football. A 1993 arrest for drug possession tarnished his image somewhat, but Barney wove through the charges and negative publicity as if they were opposing tacklers and was eventually acquitted. Additionally, Barney worked as a sports broadcaster and public relations executive for the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company. When he retired from football in 1977, Barney retained his celebrity status as an advocate for youth and civic affairs and as a church leader. The Hall of Fame cornerback had sprinter speed and gained 1,057 yards on 56 interceptions during his ten-year career. One of the most versatile defensive backs to ever play in the NFL, Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions was a threat to the opposing team whenever he touched the ball. Several times he was included in various ratings of the best players in history, and the Detroit Free Press even called Lem the best cornerback in the history of the game.Former football player, broadcaster, finance director In 1992 he was elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Despite this story, Lem entered the Li ons Hall of Fame a year later. He spent a whole season on the bench, and in February 1979 he officially left Detroit and ended his career. There were no people willing to sign a contract with Barney. In August, Lions put the player on a bounce draft. Lem was not the main figure in the case, but after several press coverage, he was summoned to a New York court to testify. In the spring of 1978, his name surfaced during the development of one of the drug smuggling channels. He became one of the symbols of the team, but left it scandalously. ![]() Twice he was elected to the All-Pro national team. Barney played eleven seasons for the Lions, hitting Probowl in seven of them. ![]() Also, after the injury of Pat Studstill, he acted as a panther, succeeding in this. This performance earned Lem the Rookie of the Year award and a Probowl entry. In all, in fourteen games, he made ten interceptions with three touchdowns. The rookie made his debut brightly, in his first game of the regular season, making an interception and returning him to the home zone. Detroit picked Barney in the second round of the 1967 draft.
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