Family of Detroit Lions legend Lem Barney say reports of his passing are false.
Before Barry Sanders elusively ran into the NFL Hall of Fame, and before Billy Sims’ spectacular but short Detroit Lions run, the Honolulu Blue and silver No. 20 belonged to Lem Barney.
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On Sunday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame released a statement on the reported death of Barney, but family says the Lions Hall of Famer is alive.
Various family members have taken to social media to slam the report, saying their relative is alive, and they have no idea why it’s being reported. It’s unclear where the initial reports surfaced, that triggered the statement from the Hall of Fame.
The statement from the Hall of Fame, from President & CEO Jim Porter, said:
“Media reporting the death of Lem Barney will recount his many football accolades – and that praise was well earned. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1967 and later named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s. He was a member of both the Pro Football and Black College Football halls of fame, demonstrating his elite level of athletic talent. But it’s also Lem’s life after football that also should be celebrated today. Over the better part of five decades Lem devoted himself to the betterment of others. The Special Olympics, the United Way, the Easter Seals, the United Negro College Fund and the Boy Scouts of America are just some of the many organizations that benefitted from Lem giving back to his community unselfishly and with little fanfare. Lem was a regular in Canton during Enshrinement Week, and his consistent presence here welcoming new class members will be missed.”
The Hall of Fame has since rescinded the statement and apologized.