Mel Farr
Encyclopedia
Melvin Farr is a former American football
player.
. He finished 7th in the balloting for the 1966 Heisman Trophy
. He was a consensus All-American at the school in 1966. He was named to the all AAWU conference team in 1965 and 1966.
, and won the year's NFL Rookie of the Year Award. He spent his entire career from 1967 through 1973 with the Lions, and earned trips to the Pro Bowl
in 1967 and 1970.
Farr and his teammate Lem Barney
also sang background vocals on the 1971 Marvin Gaye
song "What's Going On
".
. By aggressively targeting the mostly black, poverty stricken, automobile-hungry population of inner city Detroit, he built an auto empire. By 1998, the Mel Farr Auto Group grossed $596.6 million, making it the top African-American business in the United States and the thirty-third largest auto dealership in the US.
There were legal problems surrounding Farr's controversial On-Time Device, 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.
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. The franchises were sold in April 2002 and subsequently closed
For many years Farr appeared in his dealerships' commercials in a stylish suit and superhero red cape flying through the sky as he was dubbed "Mel Farr, your Superstar dealer". The commercials have earned Farr pop star status in the Detroit area.
and NFL
player Miller Farr
as well as the father of former NFL players Mel Farr, Jr.
and Mike Farr
, who both attended UCLA. He married Linda Johnson Rice, the adopted daughter of the late publisher, John H. Johnson
of Ebony
Magazine in 2004.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player.
Early life
As a youth, Farr played football, baseball, track and basketball. He graduated from Hebert High School 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.UCLA
He earned a chance to play football for UCLA, where he played halfback. He was on the 1965 and 1966 varsity teams. He played in the 1966 Rose Bowl1966 Rose Bowl
The 1966 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1966 was the 52nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans by a score of 14–12. UCLA defensive back Bob Stiles was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.-Teams:...
. He finished 7th in the balloting for the 1966 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. He was a consensus All-American at the school in 1966. He was named to the all AAWU conference team in 1965 and 1966.
Detroit Lions
He was the number 7 overall selection in the first-round in the 1967 NFL draft by Detroit. In 1967, Farr joined the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, and won the year's NFL Rookie of the Year Award. He spent his entire career from 1967 through 1973 with the Lions, and earned trips to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in 1967 and 1970.
Farr and his teammate Lem Barney
Lem Barney
Lemuel Joseph "Lem" Barney is a former American Football cornerback who played for the Detroit Lions. He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.-College years:...
also sang background vocals on the 1971 Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
song "What's Going On
What's Going On (song)
"What's Going On" is a song written by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marvin Gaye. It was the title track of Gaye's groundbreaking 1971 Motown album What's Going On, and it became a crossover hit single that reached #2 on the pop charts and #1 on the R&B charts...
".
Mel Farr Ford
After his retirement from pro football, Farr entered the business world, and in 1975 opened the Mel Farr Ford automobile dealership in Oak Park, MichiganOak Park, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,793 people, 11,104 households, and 7,595 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,863.8 persons per square mile . There were 11,370 housing units at an average density of 2,263.9 per square mile...
. By aggressively targeting the mostly black, poverty stricken, automobile-hungry population of inner city Detroit, he built an auto empire. By 1998, the Mel Farr Auto Group grossed $596.6 million, making it the top African-American business in the United States and the thirty-third largest auto dealership in the US.
There were legal problems surrounding Farr's controversial On-Time Device, 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.
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. The franchises were sold in April 2002 and subsequently closed
For many years Farr appeared in his dealerships' commercials in a stylish suit and superhero red cape flying through the sky as he was dubbed "Mel Farr, your Superstar dealer". The commercials have earned Farr pop star status in the Detroit area.
Family
Farr is part of a family full of professional football players. He is the younger brother of former AFLAmerican Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
and NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player Miller Farr
Miller Farr
Miller Farr Jr. was an American football cornerback who played for ten seasons in the AFL and NFL.He attended Wichita State University, lettering in football and track. In his senior year, he led the nation in kickoff and punt returns...
as well as the father of former NFL players Mel Farr, Jr.
Mel Farr, Jr.
Melvin Farr, Jr. is a former American football running back who played one season for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. He attended played college football for the UCLA Bruins....
and Mike Farr
Mike Farr
Michael Anthony Farr known as the Third Down Receiver because of his many clutch catches on Third Down. He is a former American football wide receiver who played a total of four seasons, three with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League and one with the New England Patriots...
, who both attended UCLA. He married Linda Johnson Rice, the adopted daughter of the late publisher, John H. Johnson
John H. Johnson
John Harold Johnson was an American businessman and publisher. He was the founder of the Johnson Publishing Company. In 1982 he became the first African-American to appear on the Forbes 400.ÀčĐċĎ- Biography :...
of Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
Magazine in 2004.