Yale Lary facts for kids
Lary on a 1952 Bowman football card
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| No. 28 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety, punter, return specialist | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | November 24, 1930 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
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| Died: | May 11, 2017 (aged 86) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | North Side (Fort Worth, Texas) | ||||||||||
| College: | Texas A&M | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1952 / Round: 3 / Pick: 34 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Robert Yale Lary Sr. (born November 24, 1930 – died May 11, 2017) was an amazing American athlete. He was a professional football player, a businessman, and even a politician. Yale Lary played for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He was a versatile player, excelling as a safety, punter, and return specialist.
Lary was so good that he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. He was also chosen for the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, which means he was one of the best players of the 1950s.
He was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Before joining the NFL, Lary played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies from 1949 to 1951. He was a top defensive back in his college league. Yale Lary also played baseball at Texas A&M, leading his team to the 1951 College World Series. He set a record for doubles in the Southwest Conference. His achievements earned him spots in several sports halls of fame, including the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame.
Lary played for the Lions from 1952 to 1953 and then again from 1956 to 1964. He missed two seasons because he served in the military. During his career, he played in nine Pro Bowl games. He was also named a first-team All-NFL player five times. Lary was known for his powerful punts, leading the NFL in punting three times. When he retired, his punting average was one of the best in NFL history. He also made 50 interceptions, which was a lot for his time.
Contents
Early Life & High School Sports
Yale Lary was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1930. He went to North Side High School in Fort Worth. There, he was a fantastic all-around athlete. He earned awards in football, baseball, track and field, and basketball.
College Sports at Texas A&M
Lary attended Texas A&M University. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies football team. In his final college game in 1951, Lary scored two touchdowns. One was a 68-yard run, and the other was a 37-yard pass catch. These plays helped Texas A&M beat their rival, Texas, for the first time in 12 years. After that season, he was named a top defensive back in his conference.
Yale Lary was also a star baseball player at Texas A&M. He played as an outfielder. He set a record for doubles in the Southwest Conference. In 1951, he helped his team win a share of the conference championship. They also made it to the 1951 College World Series.
Professional Football Career
Starting with the Detroit Lions (1952–1953)
The Detroit Lions picked Yale Lary in the third round of the 1952 NFL Draft. He signed with the Lions in June 1952. He played his entire NFL career with them. He was a safety, punter, and return specialist.
As a rookie, Lary played in all 12 games. He caught four interceptions. He also returned 16 punts, including one for a 58-yard touchdown. The Lions won the 1952 NFL Championship Game that year.
In his second season, Lary intercepted five passes. He also returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown. The Lions won the 1953 NFL Championship Game again. Lary was chosen to play in the 1953 Pro Bowl.
Military Service
In May 1954, Lary had to report for duty in the United States Army. He had been part of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps in college. He was stationed in Georgia. Because of his military service, he missed the 1954 and 1955 NFL seasons.
Returning to the Lions (1956–1964)
In 1956, Yale Lary returned to the Detroit Lions after his military service. He quickly became a regular in the Pro Bowl. He played in the all-star game every year from 1956 to 1962, and again in 1964. He was also named a first-team All-NFL player five times.
Lary played in a very strong defensive team for Detroit. This team included other Hall of Fame players like Jack Christiansen and Night Train Lane. Playing as a right safety, Lary was excellent at intercepting passes. He ranked second in the NFL with eight interceptions in both 1956 and 1962. By the time he retired, his 50 career interceptions were among the top five in NFL history.
Lary was also known for his speed when returning interceptions. He returned one interception 73 yards for a touchdown in 1956. His total of 787 interception return yards was also one of the best ever when he retired.
In 1957, Lary helped the Lions win their third NFL championship in his time with the team. He intercepted two passes in one game that year. The Lions then defeated the Cleveland Browns 59–14 in the 1957 NFL Championship Game.
From 1959 to 1964, Lary was the best punter in the NFL. He led the league in punting average in 1959, 1961, and 1963. In 1963, his average of 48.9 yards per punt was the second highest in NFL history at the time. When he retired in 1964, his career punting average was also second best ever.
Besides kicking far, Lary's punts had great "hang time." This meant the ball stayed in the air for a long time. This gave his teammates plenty of time to run down the field and stop the other team from returning the punt. Teammate Joe Schmidt said Lary's kicks "made our defense look good." Many sports writers and players consider him one of the best punters of all time.
Lary also returned punts for the Lions. He returned three punts for touchdowns during his career. In July 1965, Lary announced his retirement from football. He said it was too hard to move his family twice a year for football.
Life After Football
Yale Lary and his wife, Mary Jane, were married in 1952. They had two children, Yale Jr. and Nancy Jane, and four grandchildren.
Even before he retired from the NFL, Lary was involved in politics. He served in the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat from 1959 to 1963. After football, he opened a car dealership in Fort Worth. He ran this business for almost ten years. Later, he started an investment company that dealt with real estate and oil. Yale Lary passed away on May 11, 2017, at the age of 86.
Honors and Awards
Yale Lary received many honors for his amazing career:
- In 1969, he was chosen for the National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team.
- In 1973, he was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame for both baseball and football.
- In 1979, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was only the fifth defensive back and second punter to receive this honor.
- In 1988, he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 1994, Lary was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
