Lary, Yale (Robert Yale)
Football
b. Nov. 24, 1930, Ft. Worth, TX
After starring at Texas A & M, Lary joined the NFL's Detroit Lions as a safety man in 1952 and he became the team's punter in 1953. Lary spent two years in the army during the Korean conflict, then returned to the Lions in 1956 and played for nine more seasons.
The 5-foot-11, 189-pounder was very fast and had great anticipation. Detroit quarterback Bobby Layne once said of him, "He was smart, but the big thing was his quickness and his ability to recover and intercept after lulling the quarterback into thinking he had an open receiver."
An All-Pro from 1956 through 1958 and in 1962, Lary led NFL punters with averages of 47.1 yards in 1959, 48.4 yards in 1961, and 48.9 yards in 1963. He retired after the 1964 season.
Lary returned 50 interceptions for 787 yards, a 15.7 average, and 2 touchdowns; he ran back 126 punts for 758 yards, a 6.0 average, and 3 touchdowns; and he punted 503 times for a 44.3 yard average.