Marvin Gaye Once Tried Out For The Detroit Lions

When it comes to Detroit sports, we’ve seen some people try out and even make the team that we never thought would have a chance at playing. The most recent example of this is the YouTube sensation Kick-a-licious, Håvard Rugland. He was brought on the team, and then shortly released even though he had completed two long attempts, although he was a good trick kicker, he was replaced by David Akers.

The one that really tripped me up was finding out that soul singer Marvin Gaye once had a tryout for the Detroit Lions himself. The Motown Museum shared his story recently:

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His two close friends, Mel Farr and Lem Barney, played for the Lions at the time and were able to set up a meeting between Gaye and the team’s head coach, Joe Schmidt. Marvin Gaye confidently told Coach Schmidt he would score a touchdown the first time he touched the ball - despite having never played on a football team before. He took on a vigorous workout regimen to prepare, and Coach Schmidt let him try out for several positions on the team. Although Marvin Gaye was not offered a spot with the Detroit Lions, he was satisfied by the fact that he was offered an opportunity and gave it his best effort.

Not The Only Celebrity In The Big Leagues

Marvin wasn't the only big leaguer among celebrities, as we've also covered the fact that actor Tom Selleck actually had an at-bat for the Detroit Tigers during Spring Training.

You can see the relationship of Gaye and Barney below: