Mel Farr, the former Detroit Lions running back who became owner of the nation’s largest black-owned dealership group, has died at the age of 70.
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Farr was the No. 7 overall pick in the 1967 draft by the Lions out of UCLA and went on to play seven seasons in Detroit.
Farr played for the Lions from 1967-73 and twice went to the Pro Bowl.
“I worked in an area called dealer development”, Farr said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press a few years ago.
Farr defended his lending practices and said his greatest thrill was helping poor single mothers turn their lives around by selling them quality used cars that enable them to find jobs and improve their credit.
Mel Farr was far more than a Detroit Lions running back. I got a chance to meet Mel in 1967. He also caught 146 passes for 1,374 yards and 10 touchdowns in his career. He wore a cape on TV adds and was known as Mel Farr Superstar.
Farr’s automotive group had 11 dealerships at the height of its business, though a series of lawsuits eventually eroded his empire.
Barney said he and Farr became friends during their rookie year and were roommates.
To this day, the friendship still rides high and he is going to sorely be missed. Hall-of-Fame tight end Charlie Sanders passed away July 2 after a battle with cancer, and Farr was one of several former teammates at Sanders’ funeral.
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Farr’s cause of death is still unknown, but an autopsy is underway.
