The Pro Football Hall of Fame has issued a public apology after incorrectly announcing the passing of former NFL player Lem Barney.
NFL.com reported on Saturday, November 29, that the Hall of Fame took back an email that had been sent out earlier that day stating that Barney had died at the age of 80. In response to the initial email, the NFL acknowledged that it had mistakenly released an obituary for the Detroit Lions cornerback and returns specialist.
Dave Birkett, who reports for the Detroit Free Press, announced via X on Saturday that Lem is still alive, having spoken with the athlete’s son, Lem Barney III. Lem III informed the reporter that he had last seen his father on Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 27.
“[Lem III] started to receive messages inquiring about his father last night [Friday, November 28],” Birkett shared. “He mentioned that he spoke with Lem’s nurse earlier today, had her take a selfie, and heard his voice in the background. ‘He’s doing well … He is alive.’”
According to Birkett, this unfortunate event was especially distressing for the Barneys, as it was the second instance this year that they’ve had to address “false rumors” concerning Lem’s death.
“[Lem III] noted that it occurred after the Texas flood earlier in the year. ‘It’s like the boy who cried wolf s*** now,’” the journalist posted via X.
In the meantime, the Pro Football Hall of Fame clarified that the incorrect death announcement occurred after discussions with “media sources linked to the Detroit Lions.”
“Given conflicting information regarding the reported death of Lem Barney, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is retracting the email disseminated earlier today,” the Pro Football Hall of Fame stated. “The Hall has been unable to independently verify this news. We sincerely apologize.”
NFL and Detroit Lions Hall of Fame player Lem Barney in December 2016. Leon Halip/Getty Images
During his 11 seasons in the NFL, Lem Sr. played exclusively for the Detroit Lions. Throughout his distinguished career, he earned numerous awards, including the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 1967 and a spot on the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.
The athlete was a Pro Bowl selection seven times in his career and earned first-team All-Pro honors in both 1968 and 1969. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
After leaving the field, Lem Sr. transitioned into the entertainment world. He maintained a close friendship with the late singer Marvin Gaye and even provided background vocals for Gaye’s 1971 hit, “What’s Going On,” as per ESPN.
The former NFL player portrayed himself — along with fellow sports legends Alex Karras, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Frank Gifford — alongside Hollywood figures Alan Alda and Lauren Hutton in the 1968 sports comedy, Paper Lion. He also appeared with other football stars “Mean” Joe Greene, Eugene “Mercury” Morris, and Willie Lanier in the 1974 blaxploitation film, The Black Six.
Lem Sr. later worked as a college football analyst for BET and hosted pre-game shows for his former team, the Detroit Lions, during the 1980s, according to the Detroit Free Press. He reflected on his NFL journey and life beyond football in his 2006 memoir, The Supernatural: Lem Barney.
Lem Sr. and his late wife, Martha, reportedly married during the Lions’ off-season in 1967 and went on to have two children: a daughter named LaTrece Barney and a son, Lemuel “Lem” Barney III. Following Martha’s passing, Lem Sr. remarried, to his second wife, Jacqueline Barney.
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