Former Lions running back Mel Farr dies at age 70 - The Courier
DETROIT (AP) — Mel Farr, a former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year who rushed for more than 3,000 yards in seven pro seasons with the Detroit Lions, has died. Farr spent his whole NFL career with Detroit, from 1967-73. “The entire Lions family is saddened by the passing of Mel Farr,” Lions President Tom Lewand said in a statement Tuesday. His energetic presence in Detroit, both on the field during his playing career and off the field for decades after, was unique and unmistakable. One of Farr’s sons told the team that Farr died Monday, a Lions spokesman said. Farr led Detroit in rushing as a rookie and tallied 197 yards in a game against Minnesota. In 1970, Farr rushed for 717 yards, helping the Lions go 10-4 in the regular season and reach the playoffs for the first time since 1957. He was named to play in the 1968 and 1971 NFL Pro Bowls. Farr finished his pro career with 3,072 yards on 739 carries and would go on to a second career selling cars in the Detroit area. At one point, Farr owned about a dozen dealerships in several states and appeared in TV commercials as the cape-wearing Mel Farr Superstar. In early 2000, most of his dealerships were losing money and Farr had defaulted on $50 million in loans from Ford Motor Co. ’s credit arm. Source: thecourier.com
