Yale Lary '52 Passes Away At Age 86

Yale Lary '52, a two-sport star at Texas A&M who went on to become an NFL legend, has died at the age of 86.

At A&M, Lary excelled in both football and baseball. In 1951, he led the Aggies to their first gridiron win in 12 years over the Texas Longhorns, then led the Aggie baseball team to the College World Series.

In the NFL, Lary was a nine-time Pro Bowler and a member of three Lions’ championship teams, in 1952, 1953 and 1957.  After 11 years in the NFL, interrupted by a couple of years of military service, he went on to operate a successful Ford dealership and represent Tarrant County in the Texas Legislature.

Last year, Association staff joined volunteers from the Fort Worth/Tarrant County A&M Club to visit Lary in Fort Worth. You can read about the Aggie Network's resulting outpouring of respect and admiration for the Aggie legend at tx.ag/YaleLary.

The Association also paid tribute to Lary in a video featured at halftime of a game at Kyle Field last fall. Watch the video at https://youtu.be/YR3IxXyXn68.

Karen Jennings '93, executive director of Brookdale Westover Hills, the facility in Fort Worth where Lary lived, confirmed his death to The Association on Friday. Jennings called Lary "a wonderful man" and said, "It has been a sincere pleasure to care for him through the years."

A brief obituary of Lary has been published by NBC Sports; read it at http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/05/12/lions-hall-of-famer-yale-lary-dies-at-86/. ESPN also has an obituary at www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/19364561/hall-fame-safety-yale-lary-detroit-lions-dies-86.