Marv Gaye's tryout wh the NFL's Detro Lns - ESPN

Contents:

• PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME DUCTEE ALEX KARRAS WAS THE ORIGAL GAY SPORTS ALLY
• HOW MARV GAYE'S NFL TRYOUT CHANGED HIS REER
• DAN CAMPBELL, DETRO LNS ACH ONT-NNER, MA NTROVERSIAL ANTI-GAY REMARK LLEGE
• DETRO LNS ACH DAN CAMPBELL APOLOGIZ FOR ANTI-GAY REMARK OM HIS LLEGE DAYS
• LNS HEAD ACH DAN CAMPBELL ISSU NEW APOLOGY FOR MAKG ANTI-GAY REMARK LLEGE
• NO, THE DETRO LNS ARE NOT HOSTG A GAY PRI NIGHT THIS SEASON
• WILLIAM GAY
• JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
• LNS HEAD ACH DAN CAMPBELL ISSU NEW APOLOGY FOR MAKG ANTI-GAY REMARK LLEGE

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME DUCTEE ALEX KARRAS WAS THE ORIGAL GAY SPORTS ALLY

Dave Kopay, who played wh Karras for the Detro Lns 1968, creds Karras wh savg his life by beg a close iend and nfidant at a time when Kopay was stgglg wh beg gay. Though Kopay never told Karras directly he was gay, the star leman — elected to the Hall of Fame posthumoly — sensed somethg was different and took Kopay unr his wg. Karras went on to have a huge movie and TV reer after retirg, bt known for his role as “Mongo” “Blazg Saddl, ” for playg a closeted gay bodyguard “Victor Victoria” and for TV’s “Webster.

HOW MARV GAYE'S NFL TRYOUT CHANGED HIS REER

”Watchg Alex play a homosexual ‘Victor Victoria, ’ I uldn’t stop lghg. “He didn’t know a f------ thg about homosexualy, but he knew a lot about empathy. Palmer, one of four proment urs the area, attracted many of the cy's black celebri, cludg Joe Louis, Smokey Robson and The had heard Marv Gaye, one of his favore artists, lived nearby.

DAN CAMPBELL, DETRO LNS ACH ONT-NNER, MA NTROVERSIAL ANTI-GAY REMARK LLEGE

Gaye sang the sre to Barney's high school and llege years at Jackson State Universy. The send-year fensive back troduced himself to Palmer's clubhoe employe, who quickly obliged wh his requt for Gaye's easily found Marv's hoe, ls than a e-and-a-half om the urse. When the legendary Motown crooner and avid sports fan opened the door, he stantly regnized Barney, vg him for nearly two hours, the athlete and the sger chatted like longtime iends, bond by mutual passns: sports and embraced by Marv Gaye would e to have s perks.

"Marv Gaye's hoe. And wh weeks, the three were separable, wh Gaye regularly attendg Lns practic and gam, even playg golf and basketball two Lns entered Gaye's life as a dark cloud of uncertaty and prsn stalked Terrell had replaced Kim Wton as Gaye's rerdg partner 1967.

Gaye and Terrell produced timels os such as "A't No Mounta High Enough, " "A't Nothg Like The Real Thg" and "You're All I Need To Get By, " spirg pop culture stapl s later Hollywood ("Remember The Tans") and hip-hop (Method Man and Mary J. She llapsed Gaye's arms while performg at Hampn-Sydney College medil diagnosis revealed a bra tumor. As she slowly whered away, a large piece of Gaye's soul did, too.

DETRO LNS ACH DAN CAMPBELL APOLOGIZ FOR ANTI-GAY REMARK OM HIS LLEGE DAYS

I uldn't perform, " Gaye told a iend. Gaye openly sobbed at her funeral, yet gathered the strength to liver a movg logy, tellg the crowd of her urage to endure seven bra procr over two relled that Gaye stopped sgg and rerdg. The Watts and Detro rts revealed entire muni disgted by s of racial and soc-enomic the same time, Gaye's brother Frankie returned om Vietnam filled wh horror stori of young men dyg a never-endg, sensels war.

The ias and imag rattled Gaye. '" Gaye told David Rz "Divid Soul: The Life of Marv Gaye. " After beg turned down by different Motown acts, Benson and Cleveland took the ia to Gaye 1970.

LNS HEAD ACH DAN CAMPBELL ISSU NEW APOLOGY FOR MAKG ANTI-GAY REMARK LLEGE

Gaye told Barney and Farr about the song after a round of golf, sayg he wanted the song to be given to The Origals, a group Gaye had taken unr his ia never got off the ground. Benson was adamant about Gaye rerdg the song, even offerg a percentage of the rerd. But Gaye's ultimatum was ser.

NO, THE DETRO LNS ARE NOT HOSTG A GAY PRI NIGHT THIS SEASON

They had been the stud wh Gaye before as guts, but now he wanted to put them to work. "The two Lns helped revive Gaye's spir, battered through current events and all but dormant sce Terrell's passg. "Not long after the rerdg ssn, Gaye unleashed another bombshell.

Now Gaye wanted them to be out for a profsnal football team is difficult.

He relled the nversatn his book, "Marv Gaye, My Brother. " Gaye asked. "I'd rather tch a pass and sre a touchdown Tiger Stadium, " Gaye said, "than rack up another gold rerd.

WILLIAM GAY

Barney and Farr, like Frankie, didn't believe Gaye's sports fantasy, but they quickly realized he was as ser about tryg out for the Lns as he was about havg them help rerd "What's Gog On.

Swayg the achg staff to give him a ser opportuny -- long before Master P and the Charlotte Hors -- was at bt a pipe, Gaye fully mted himself to an tense workout regimen, nng 4-5 per day and liftg weights. Gaye even transformed portns of his hoe to a gym.

JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU

Gaye also unrstood this was a long shot. For that to happen, Gaye had to take the procs traed wh Farr, Barney and future Hall of Fame receiver Charlie Sanrs.

In addn to the universy and Gaye's garage, they traed at parks and lol high schools, anywhere a productive workout uld take place. "Word circulated around the cy that Marv Gaye -- y, Motown's Marv Gaye -- had been preparg for a tryout wh the Schmidt, then Detro's head ach and a fan of Gaye's mic, was admtedly imprsed when he disvered two of his star players were featured on a song of Gaye's.

Excement quickly morphed to befuddlement when Barney and Farr relayed Gaye's football fantasy. "Gaye didn't waste a send before sellg himself the terview.

LNS HEAD ACH DAN CAMPBELL ISSU NEW APOLOGY FOR MAKG ANTI-GAY REMARK LLEGE

Gaye never attend llege. Gaye had set a goal and achieved : He'd get a shot at playg the NFL alongsi two of his clost acted like the nsummate pro, nng rout and lg up wherever asked. Schmidt hat to adm he helped Gaye overe his personal funk.

That mattered more than Marv makg the team or takg a slant pass 60 yards to the song, the trag, the mental mment and the tryout allowed Gaye to clear his md, albe briefly. The time away om mic brought joy, a feelg that was anythg but nstant Gaye's life.