Lemuel Jackson Barney was born on September 8, 1945. He was an American professional football player who played as a cornerback and return specialist for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL) from 1967 to 1977. He also played as a punter occasionally. He played college football for the Jackson State Tigers between 1964 and 1966. He was selected by the Lions in the 1967 NFL/AFL draft. In 1967, he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He played in seven Pro Bowls and was selected as a first-team All-Pro player in 1968 and 1969. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992. He has also been inducted into the Detroit Lions Hall of Fame, the Jackson State Sports Hall of Fame, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life

Barney was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, on September 8, 1945. He attended 33rd Avenue High School in Gulfport, where he played as a quarterback for his football team.

College career

Barney attended Jackson State University, a historically Black university located in Jackson, Mississippi. His son, Lem Barney III, and grandson, Lem Barney IV, also attended Jackson State University and graduated from the school. He played college football for the Tigers from 1964 to 1966 under head coach Rod Paige. During his time at Jackson State, he recorded 26 career interceptions, including nine in 1965 and 11 in 1966. His punt averages in those two seasons were 41.7 and 42.5, respectively. Barney was selected as an All-Southwestern Athletic Conference player for three consecutive years. Additionally, he was named an All-American by Ebony magazine and the Pittsburgh Courier.

Professional career

Barney was chosen by the Detroit Lions in the second round, 34th pick overall, of the 1967 NFL draft. In his rookie season of 1967, Barney played in all 14 games as a starting cornerback and led the NFL with 10 interceptions, 232 interception return yards, and three touchdowns from interceptions. After an injury to Pat Studstill, Barney also became the Lions' punter, punting 47 times for an average of 37.4 yards in 1967. On September 17, 1967, during the first quarter of his first NFL game, Barney intercepted the first pass thrown at him by Bart Starr and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown. In the final game of his rookie season, Barney intercepted three passes within ten minutes and returned one 71 yards for a touchdown. At the end of the 1967 season, he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press.

After the 1967 season, Barney played in the 1968 Pro Bowl. During the off-season, he married and served six months of active duty in the Navy.

Barney was selected to seven Pro Bowls and named a first-team All-NFL player in 1968 and 1969. Over his 11 years in the NFL, Barney recorded 56 interceptions, 1,011 interception return yards, and seven touchdowns from interceptions. He also returned 143 punts for 1,312 yards and three touchdowns, as well as 50 kickoff returns for 1,274 yards, including a 98-yard return for a touchdown.

In March 1978, during a wiretap investigation into international drug smuggling, Barney's voice was heard allegedly discussing cocaine and amphetamines. Although investigators said Barney was not the focus of the investigation, the controversy received widespread media attention in the spring of 1978, as Barney testified before a New York grand jury.

In August 1978, the Lions placed Barney on the injured waiver list. Barney was unable to sign with another team, and he did not play during the 1978 season. He was officially released by the Lions in February 1979.

Awards and honors

After retiring from playing, Barney received many honors, such as the following:

• In 1980, he was inducted into the Detroit Lions Hall of Fame.
• In 1983, he was inducted into the Jackson State Sports Hall of Fame.
• In 1985, he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
• In 1986, he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
• In 1992, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jim David, who was Barney's position coach with the Lions, gave the speech during Barney's induction.
• In 1997, the Detroit Free Press named Barney the best cornerback in NFL history.
• In 1999, he was listed as number 97 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
• In 2004, the Lions retired jersey number 20 to honor three great players who wore it: Barney, Billy Sims, and Barry Sanders.

Entertainer

Barney is a skilled singer who began singing with choirs during his childhood and in college. He became friends with Motown recording artist Marvin Gaye when Gaye did not get selected to join the Lions in 1970. Barney and his teammate Mel Farr provided backup vocals on Gaye's famous 1971 song "What's Going On." In 2015, Barney was asked to sing the national anthem at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Barney also had a short acting career. He first appeared in the 1968 comedy film Paper Lion, where he played himself. In 1973, he was a main actor in the blaxploitation biker film The Black Six.

Personal life

Barney and his wife, Martha, had a daughter named LaTrece and a son named Lem III. After retiring from the NFL, Barney worked in public affairs for Michigan Consolidated Gas Company starting in 1979. In the 1980s, he also worked as a football broadcaster on BET and during pre-season games for the Detroit Lions.

In March 1993, Barney was arrested after his car crashed into a guardrail on a Detroit freeway. He was charged with driving while drunk and possessing cocaine and marijuana. In 1994, a jury found him not guilty of the drug charges.

In 2006, Barney wrote an autobiography titled The Supernatural: Lem Barney. He began working in public relations at the Detroit Medical Center in 2006. After losing his job, he filed a lawsuit in 2013, claiming he was fired because of his age. In the same year, Barney said he would not play football again if he could relive his life and predicted that football might no longer exist in 20 years due to concerns about brain injuries.

His nephew, Milton Barney, also played in the NFL.

As of 2023, Barney was in poor health. He was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in 2013 and had been under legal guardianship since 2018. On November 29, 2025, the Pro Football Hall of Fame mistakenly announced that Barney had died.