Marvin Gaye Had A Tryout With The Detroit Lions

Marvin Gaye was a legendary Motown performer in 1970, but he tried to make a bigger splash in Detroit in a different career. He wanted to play for the Detroit Lions.

Gaye, who lived in The Motor City at the time, was friends with Hall of Fame cornerback Lem Barney who was a Lion. Barney with running back Mel Farr had just helped Gaye record “What’s Going On.” Barney and Farr provided background vocals for the song, and earned them a gold record reported mlive.com.

“Ironically, after that, Marvin had started working out with us, we’d let him work out with us,” Barney said in a radio interview Monday with Lansing station WVFN-AM, 730.

“He went up to the University of Michigan and worked out during the spring with them there. Then he started going on the Johnny Carson show, saying he was going to be a Detroit Lion.”

Joe Schmidt, coach of the Lions gave Gaye, then 31, a call to bring him in for a visit.

“He said, ‘Well, Marvin, what’s this I hear about you’re going to be a Detroit Lion?'” Barney said. “And Marvin said, ‘Aww coach, I believe the first time I touch the ball I’m going to score a touchdown.'”

Schmidt asked Gaye about his football career – which was just workouts he had put himself through.

“Coach said, ‘Well what the heck makes you think you can come in and play in the league?’ Barney remembered. “He said, ‘Coach I just believe in my heart if you give me a chance, first time I touch the ball I’m going to score a touchdown.'”

Schmidt invited the 6-foot-4 Gaye to the Lions training camp in Flint for a tryout.

“We were in shoes and shorts,” Barney said. “He tried Marvin out at wide receiver and running back. Marvin looked good, but he just didn’t have that which would have taken him over the top to get in there.”

It was at a difficult time for Gaye. Tammi Terrell, his duet partner on 1960s hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” had collapsed into his arms during a 1967 concert reported The Los Angeles Times. She was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and died in March 1970.

“He transformed a master bedroom into a universal gym and bulked up from about 180 pounds to about 210,” Barney said. “He ran every day and worked out. He was ready.”

On April 1, 1984, the day before he would have turned 45, Gaye was fatally shot in Los Angeles by his father.

[Image via Huffington Post]