Melvin Farr(November 3, 1944 – August 3, 2015) was an American professionalfootballplayer and businessman.
 Farr from 1965 UCLA yearbook | |||||||||
| No. 24 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 3, 1944 Beaumont, Texas,U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | August 3, 2015(aged 70) Detroit, Michigan,U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Hebert(Beaumont, Texas) | ||||||||
| College: | UCLA | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1967/ round: 1 / pick: 7 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
A native ofBeaumont, Texas,Farr playedcollege footballas ahalfbackon the1965and1966 UCLA Bruins football teamsthat were ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively in the finalAP Polls.He was selected as a consensus first-team All-American in 1966, gained over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in both 1965 and 1966, and was inducted into theUCLA Athletics Hall of Famein 1988.
Farr was drafted by theDetroit Lionsin the first round, seventh overall pick, of the1967 NFL/AFL draftand played seven years as arunning backfor the Lions. He led the Lions in both rushing and receiving in 1967, totaling 1,177 yards from scrimmage as a rookie, and was selected as theNFL Rookie of the Year.He was twice selected to play in thePro Bowl,in 1967 and 1970. In a career shortened by injury, Farr gained a total of 4,446 yards from scrimmage and scored 36 touchdowns during his seven years in the NFL.[1]
After retiring from football, Farr acquired aFord Motor Companydealership in 1975, eventually expanding his business to 11 dealerships in five states. By 1998, Farr's automotive group was cited as the largest African-American owned company in the country. His business failed in 2002 following adverse publicity and lawsuits relating to sales and finance practices.
Early life
editFarr was born inBeaumont, Texas,in 1944,[1]the son of a truck driver and a domestic worker.[2]He graduated fromHebert High School,a segregated school in Beaumont, Texas, in 1963, where he lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was named all-state in football and track and all-district in basketball.[3]His older brother,Miller Farr,played nine seasons as adefensive backin the NFL from 1965 to 1973.[4]
UCLA
editFarr began hiscollege footballcareer atSanta Monica City Collegebefore transferring toUCLAin 1964. He then sustained a hairline fracture in his left arm at the end of August 1964.[5]After returning from the injury, Farr appeared in 10 games in 1964 and gained 86 rushing yards on 27 carries.[6]
During the 1965 and 1966 seasons, Farr andGary Bebanwere the core of a UCLA backfield dubbed the "dream backfield" inSports Illustrated.[7]In 1965, Farr was the starting halfback forTommy Prothro'sUCLA Bruins teamthat compiled an 8–2–1 record, won theAthletic Association of Western Universities(AAWU) championship, defeated No. 1-rankedMichigan Statein the1966 Rose Bowl,and was ranked No. 4 in the finalAP Poll.Farr totaled 1,001 yards from scrimmage (821 rushing and 180 receiving) and eight touchdowns.[6]He ran 49 yards for a touchdown in an upset victory over No. 6-rankedUSCin 1965,[8]and his average of 6.7 yards per carry in 1965 led the AAWU and ranked second in the NCAA.[6]At the end of the 1965 season, he was selected by the conference coaches as a first-team halfback on the1965 All-Pacific Athletic Conference football teamand by theUnited Press Internationalto the All-West Coast football team.[9][10]
In 1966, Farr was the starting halfback for theUCLA Bruins teamthat compiled a 9–1 record and was ranked No. 5 in the finalAP Poll.Farr totaled 1,034 yards from scrimmage (809 rushing and 150 receiving) and 11 touchdowns and finished seventh in theHeisman Trophyvoting.[6]At the end of the 1966 season, Farr was a consensus first-team running back on the1966 College Football All-America Team.[11]
In 1988, Farr was inducted into theUCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.[12]
Detroit Lions
editFarr was selected by theDetroit Lionsin the first round, seventh overall pick, of the1967 NFL/AFL draft.[1]As a rookie for the Lions in 1967, Farr rushed for 197 yards in a game against theMinnesota Vikings,totaled 1,177 yards from scrimmage, and ranked fifth in the NFL with 860 rushing yards. He led the Lions in both rushing yardage and with 39 receptions,[13]and he was selected by theUnited Press Internationalas theNFL Rookie of the Year.[14]TheAssociated Presspicked Farr as the Offensive Rookie of the Year and teammateLem Barneyas the Defensive Rookie of the Year.[15]
In October 1968, Farr was named by the AP as the NFL offensive player of the week after totaling 210 yards (138 rushing, 72 receiving) and scoring three touchdowns in a 28–10 victory over theChicago Bears.[16]The following week, he set a club record with 29 carries, good for 145 rushing yards.[17]He led the NFL with 490 rushing yards through the first six games of the 1968 season,[18]but he was injured on the third play of the game against theSan Francisco 49ers,missed five games, and underwent surgery on his left knee.[19]He finished the 1968 season with 972 yards from scrimmage, 597 rushing and 375 receiving.[1]His average of 66.3 rushing yards per game ranked fifth in the NFL in 1968.[1]
Farr returned from knee surgery in 1969, but he sustained a serious injury to his left knee in the fifth game of the season on a hit byBennie McRaeof theChicago Bears.The injury snapped the inside ligament in half and was considered more serious than his 1968 injury.[20]In five games during the 1968 season, Farr rushed for 245 yards on 58 carries.[1]
In 1970, Farr returned from his second knee surgery and totaled 930 yards from scrimmage, 717 rushing and 213 receiving. He was selected to play in his secondPro Bowlafter the 1970 season.[1][21]Having missed the Lions' Thanksgiving Day games in 1968 and 1969, Farr rushed for 121 yards and caught two long passes in the Lions' 1970 Thanksgiving Day game.[22]
Farr and teammateLem Barneyrecorded background vocals onMarvin Gaye's "What's Going On",released in January 1971.[23]
In July 1971, Farr signed a three-year contract with the Lions.[24]He appeared in nine games in 1971, but only one as a starter, as he continued to be hampered by injuries and lost the starting running back job toSteve Owens(who rushed for over 1,000 yards in 1971) andAltie Taylor.[25]Farr totaled 64 rushing yards on 22 carries in 1971.[1]
In 1972, Farr remained with the Lions, but as a backup to Steve Owens. Farr had his best game of the season on October 22, 1972, gaining 96 yards and scoring two touchdowns on 22 carries against theSan Diego Chargers.[26]Farr totaled 216 rushing yards on 62 carries for the 1972 season.[1]
In 1973, Farr appeared in 11 games, seven as a starter, rushing for 373 yards on 97 carries. In mid-December, Farr said he was considering retirement and called 1973 "one of the worst seasons for me as far as frustration."[27]
In March 1974, Farr was traded by the Lions to theHouston Oilers.[28]Twelve days later, Farr announced his retirement from professional football.[29]
Auto dealerships
editAs a teenager in Texas, Farr helped his father, Miller Farr Sr., buy old cars, often fixer-uppers from the junkyard, and sell them from a makeshift car lot in the family's front yard, called Farr's New and Used.[30][31][32]The Lions were owned byWilliam Clay Ford Sr.,the last surviving grandson ofHenry Ford,and Farr worked forFord Motor Companyin the dealer development division during the off-season.[31]In November 1975, after retiring from the NFL, Farr invested his savings to purchase a boarded-up Ford dealership inOak Park, Michigan.[33]
During the1980 recession,Ford sales suffered. Farr began promoting the dealership in television advertisements by portraying a red-caped superhero in a stylish suit, flying through the sky as "Mel Farr, your superstar dealer," promising that if the viewer came to Mel Farr Ford, he or she would receive "a Farr better deal."[31][32]
By 1997, Farr had expanded his Mel Farr Auto Group to 14 auto dealerships in five states (Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, and Texas) with annual sales in excess of $500 million.[31][34]By 1998, Farr's dealership group grossed $596.6 million, making it the top black-owned business in the United States and the 33rd largest auto dealership in the US.[35]
Farr specialized in the subprime market, expanded into the used car market, and offered credit at rates up to 25 percent.[32][36]In 2000, Farr's companies became the subject of negative publicity focusing on their sales and credit practices.[36][37]There were legal problems surrounding Farr'sOn-Time Device,[38]which prevented drivers of leased vehicles from starting the car if they missed payments. In June 2000, Farr settled a suit with customers who complained that the device turned off their cars when they were in motion. Many claimed they had not been late with their payments. Each of the 1,500 customers received $200 worth of coupons for their troubles.[39]
In January 2002, Farr was in discussions to sell his franchises in Oak Park and Waterford Township, Michigan, to Ford Motor Company, who had outstanding liens with Farr.[39]The franchises were sold in April 2002 and subsequently closed.[40]After defaulting on a $36.5 million bond package, Farr sold his final dealership in 2003.[41]
Family and later years
editFarr was married to his first wife, Mae Rutha (Forbes) Farr, in the mid-1960s. They had two sons,Mel Farr Jr.,born in 1966, andMike Farr,born in 1967, and one daughter, Monet. Both sons went on to play football at UCLA, and then professional football in the NFL.[42][43]
Farr was married three times. He was divorced from his first wife, Mae, in 2002 after more than 35 years of marriage. From 2004 to 2009, Farr was married to Linda Johnson Rice, president and CEO ofJohnson Publishing Co.,publisher ofEbonyandJetmagazines.[44]His third wife was Jasmine Rozier, with whom he had a daughter, Melia (b. November 3, 2015), born shortly after Farr died.
Farr died at his home in Detroit on August 3, 2015, at age 70 of a massive heart attack. Farr also suffered fromstage 3 CTE.[45]He was one of at least 345NFL players to be diagnosed after deathwith this disease, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.[46][47]
References
edit- ^abcdefghi"Mel Farr".Pro Football Reference.com.Sports Reference LLC.
- ^Hiawatha Bray (June 1992)."Mr. Touchdown".Black Enterprise. Archived fromthe originalon October 22, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 18,2016.
- ^"Sports Legends - Mel Farr".Museum of the Gulf Coast. Archived fromthe originalon October 22, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 17,2016.
- ^"Miller Farr".Pro Football Reference.com.Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedFebruary 18,2016.
- ^"Farr Rejoins UCLA Squad".The San Bernardino County Sun.September 16, 1964. p. 13.
- ^abcd"Mel Farr Stats".SR/College Football.Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedFebruary 17,2016.
- ^Dan Jenkins (October 10, 1966)."The Streak Is Here".Sports Illustrated.
- ^"UCLA edges USC 20-16".Port Angeles Evening News (AP story).November 21, 1965. p. 10.
- ^"Williams Named to 1st Team".The Daily Chronicle, Centralia, Washington.December 9, 1965. p. 9.
- ^"UCLA Stars Beban, Farr On First Team Offensive Backfield".Humboldt Standard.November 29, 1965. p. 25.
- ^"2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections"(PDF).National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 7. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 6, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 10,2015.
- ^"UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame".UCLA.RetrievedFebruary 18,2016.
- ^"1967 Detroit Lions Statistics".Pro-Football-Reference.com.Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedFebruary 18,2016.
- ^"Farr Is Named Rookie Of Year".The Holland Evening Sentinel.December 26, 1967. p. 17.
- ^"Detroit Lions' Mel Farr, Lem Barney Are Voted NFL Rookies of the Year".The Express (PA).December 15, 1967. p. 19.
- ^"Mel Farr Wins AP Grid Poll".The Circleville (OH) Herald.October 17, 1968. p. 13.
- ^"Detroit Back Mel Farr Seeks Elite 1000 Club".Pottstown (PA) Mercury.October 24, 1968. p. 37.
- ^"Mel Farr Leads NFL Rushers".Ironwood (MI) Daily Globe.October 23, 1968. p. 18.
- ^"Leading Lion Rusher Finished For Season".Valley Morning Star.November 26, 1968. p. 10.
- ^Jack Saylor (October 20, 1969)."Mel Farr Lost for the Season".Detroit Free Press.p. 1D.
- ^"Mel Farr Added To NFC Squad".The Bridgeport Telegram.January 19, 1971. p. 12.
- ^Curt Sylvester (November 27, 1970)."Farr Gives 'Thanks' for Healthy Knees".Detroit Free Press.
- ^"Mel Farr, Detroit Lion turned auto dealer, dies at 70".Automotive News.August 4, 2015.
- ^"Mel Farr Signs Three-Year Pact".The Cumberland News.July 31, 1971. p. 12.
- ^Joe Falls (February 2, 1972)."Farr Can Start Packing His Bags".Detroit Free Press.p. 37.
- ^"Sub Mel Farr paces Lions to 34-20 win".Record-Eagle.October 23, 1972. p. 16.
- ^Jack Saylor (December 16, 1973)."Obligation to Play Football".Detroit Free Press.p. 4D.
- ^"Oilers Obtain Detroit's Farr".The Eagle (Bryan, TX).March 6, 1974. p. 15.
- ^"Oilers' Mel Farr retiring".The Mexia (TX) Daily News.March 19, 1974. p. 6.
- ^"Just Like Dad".Detroit Free Press.June 20, 1993.
- ^abcdBurt Herman (December 14, 1997)."Ex-NFL star soars in TV ads and auto sales".The Cincinnati Enquirer (AP story).p. I6.
- ^abcJon Pepper (August 17, 1997)."Despite success, fear of failure drives Farr, part 2".Detroit Free Press.p. 11.
- ^Mark Beltaire (November 27, 1975)."Farr Is Off and Running In a Brand New Ballgame".Detroit Free Press.p. 3.
- ^Jon Pepper (August 17, 1997)."Despite success, fear of failure drives Farr, part 1".Detroit Free Press.p. 1.
- ^Derek T. Dingle, Black Enterprise Titans of the B.E. 100s: Black CEOs Who Redefined and Conquered American Business (John Wiley & Sons 1999)
- ^abDavid Ashenfelter (January 24, 2000)."Farr, Present and Future: Unhappy car buyers a problem for dealer with plan to help others, part 1".Detroit Free Press.pp. 1B, 3B.
- ^David Ashenfelter (January 24, 2000)."Farr, Present and Future: Unhappy car buyers a problem for dealer with plan to help others, part 2".Detroit Free Press.pp. 1B, 3B.
- ^Meredith, Robyn - Auto Dealer Has an Offer for Drivers With Bad Credit, but There's a Catch. New York Times, August 30, 1999
- ^abHughes, Alan and Lloyd Gite - Driving in a new direction? Mel Farr Automotive to sell all its Ford dealerships. Black Enterprise, April 2002
- ^"Super Star Mel Farr and Ford Part Ways".Wards Auto. March 1, 2002.
- ^Brent Snavely (August 5, 2015). "Farr a pioneer among minority auto dealers".Detroit Free Press.
- ^"Mel Farr, Jr".Pro-Football-Reference.com.Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedFebruary 18,2016.
- ^"Mike Farr".Pro-Football-Reference.com.Sports Reference LLC.RetrievedFebruary 18,2016.
- ^Bill Shea (August 4, 2015)."Mel Farr, who parlayed his Detroit Lions career into an auto dealership empire, dies at age 70".Crain's Detroit Business.
- ^Birkett, Dave (August 4, 2015)."Former Lions RB Mel Farr dead at 70".Detroit Free Press.
- ^"The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)".Concussion Legacy Foundation.Archived fromthe originalon July 2, 2023.RetrievedJuly 2,2023.
- ^Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller (June 20, 2023)."Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease".The New York Times.RetrievedJuly 2,2023.