Yale Lary played for 11 seasons as a safety, punter and return specialist for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League.
32 Facts About Yale Lary
2.
Yale Lary was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and was selected for the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team.
3.
Yale Lary played in the NFL with the Lions from 1952 to 1953 and from 1956 to 1964, missing the 1954 and 1955 seasons due to military service as an Army second lieutenant in Korea.
4.
Yale Lary appeared in nine Pro Bowl games, and was a first-team All-NFL player five times.
5.
Yale Lary led the NFL in punting three times, and at the time of his retirement in 1964, his 44.3-yard punting average ranked second in NFL history, trailing only Sammy Baugh.
6.
Yale Lary totaled 50 NFL interceptions for 787 return yards, both of which ranked fifth in NFL history at the time of his retirement.
7.
Yale Lary attended North Side High School in Fort Worth, where he was a multi-sport athlete, receiving three letters each in football and baseball, two in track and field, and one in basketball.
8.
Yale Lary was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round, 34th overall pick, of the 1952 NFL Draft.
9.
Yale Lary signed with the Lions in June 1952, and played his entire NFL career for the Lions as a safety, punter, and return specialist.
10.
Yale Lary returned 16 punts for an 11.4 yard average and 12 kickoffs for a 25.2-yard average.
11.
Yale Lary played professional baseball in the summer during his first few years in the NFL.
12.
In January 1953, within days after the Lions' NFL championship, Yale Lary signed a contract to play professional baseball for the Beaumont Exporters of the Texas League.
13.
Yale Lary appeared in at least seven games for Beaumont in 1953.
14.
Yale Lary again played minor league baseball in the summer of 1953, batting.
15.
Yale Lary concluded his baseball career in 1957, appearing in 24 games for Lake Charles and five games for Austin.
16.
Yale Lary was stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia, and missed the 1954 and 1955 seasons due to military service.
17.
In January 1956, Yale Lary signed a contract to return to the Lions after completing his military service in May 1956.
18.
Yale Lary received first-team All-NFL honors in five years: 1956 ; 1957 ; 1958 ; 1959 ; and 1962.
19.
Yale Lary was known for his speed and evasiveness on interception returns.
20.
Yale Lary returned an interception 73 yards for a touchdown in 1956, and his career total of 787 interception return yards ranked fifth in NFL history at the time of his retirement.
21.
In 1957, Yale Lary helped lead the Lions to a third NFL championship in his four years with the team.
22.
From 1959 to 1964, Yale Lary was the most dominant punter in the NFL.
23.
Yale Lary led the league in punting average in 1959,1961 and 1963.
24.
Yale Lary narrowly missed a fourth punting title in 1964, trailing Bobby Walden by one-tenth of a yard at 46.3 yards per punt.
25.
Yale Lary made our defense look good because he always gave us room to work.
26.
Paul Hornung went further, saying in 2004 that Yale Lary was the best punter ever.
27.
Yale Lary returned three punts for touchdowns and was among the NFL leaders in punt return yardage and yards per return in 1952,1953,1957, and 1958.
28.
Yale Lary had the NFL's longest punt return in 1957 at 71 yards.
29.
In July 1965, Yale Lary announced that he was retiring from football.
30.
Yale Lary operated the automobile dealership for nearly a decade.
31.
Yale Lary later formed an investment company with interests in real estate, oil and gas leases, and oil and natural gas production.
32.
Yale Lary has received numerous honors and awards since retiring from football.