Marv Gaye Once Tried Out for the NFL

Contents:

• HOW MARV GAYE'S NFL TRYOUT CHANGED HIS REER
• WHEN DID MARV GAYE TRY OUT FOR A SPOT IN THE NFL?
• MARV GAYE ONCE TRIED OUT FOR THE NFL (AND IT SAVED HIS MIC CAREER)
• WATCH: REVISG LEGENDARY ARTIST MARV GAYE'S ATTEMPT TO JO DETRO LNS 1970
• MARV GAYE ONCE TRIED OUT FOR THE NFL

HOW MARV GAYE'S NFL TRYOUT CHANGED HIS REER

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. 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.

WHEN DID MARV GAYE TRY OUT FOR A SPOT IN THE NFL?

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.

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.

MARV GAYE ONCE TRIED OUT FOR THE NFL (AND IT SAVED HIS MIC CAREER)

" After beg turned down by different Motown acts, Benson and Cleveland took the ia to Gaye 1970.

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.

WATCH: REVISG LEGENDARY ARTIST MARV GAYE'S ATTEMPT TO JO DETRO LNS 1970

Benson was adamant about Gaye rerdg the song, even offerg a percentage of the rerd. But Gaye's ultimatum was ser. 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.

MARV GAYE ONCE TRIED OUT FOR THE NFL

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. 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. 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.