The family of legendary Detroit Lions quarterback Lem Barney says he is alive despite reports of his death.
That's according to Tony Paul of The Detroit News and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Paul reports that he spoke to Barney's sister who said he's alive. Birkett said that he spoke to Mel Farr, Jr., he talked with Lem Barney III, who talked to Barney's nurse who said he was alive.
It comes following a statement from the Pro Football Hall of Fame that said Barney had died at the age of 80, citing media reports.
Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Barney played 11 years for the Detroit Lions and was a legend at Jackson State, an HBCU where he had 26 interceptions in three seasons.
He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1967 and was named defensive rookie of the year and later named to the NFL's All-Decade team of the 1960s.
During his 11 seasons with the Lions, he appeared in 140 games and had 56 interceptions and seven touchdowns, as well as 17 fumble recoveries.
