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Lamar Lundy

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Lamar Lundy
refer to caption
Lundy receives 1956 Purdue MVP award
No. 85
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born:(1935-04-17)April 17, 1935
Richmond, Indiana, U.S.
Died:February 24, 2007(2007-02-24) (aged 71)
Richmond, Indiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight:245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
College:Purdue
NFL draft:1957 / round: 4 / pick: 47
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games:152
Touchdowns:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Lamar J. Lundy, Jr. (April 17, 1935 – February 24, 2007) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1969. Along with Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, and Rosey Grier, Lundy was a member of the Fearsome Foursome, often considered one of the best defensive lines in NFL history. All four also did some acting; Lundy portrayed the boulder-hurling cyclops in the unaired pilot of Lost in Space (this pilot was later made into episode 4 of the series, entitled "There Were Giants in the Earth").[1][2]

Early life

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Lundy with the Rams in 1959

Lundy was born in Richmond, Indiana, on April 17, 1935, the first child of Lamar Lundy Sr. and Sarah Corine (Ferguson) Lundy.[3][4] He attended Nicholson Elementary School and Test Junior High School in Richmond, and graduated from Richmond High School where he was a two-sport star in basketball and football, and was an All-American in both sports. Lundy led the Red Devils to the State Finals in basketball, playing for Hall of Fame Coach, Art Beckner. He was selected to the Indiana Basketball All-Star team that defeated the Kentucky All-Stars in 1953. He was also an All-State player in football.[3][5][6][7][8][4] He was All State in football in 1951 and 1952.[9] The football team was undefeated in 1952 and 1953, and the basketball team went to the final four in 1953.[10] He was named a distinguished alumnus in 1998.[2]

When it came time to choose a college, Lamar selected and attended Purdue University, where he was the first black student to receive a football scholarship,[3] and where he was named MVP of both the football and basketball teams in his senior year.[5][2] He led the Boilermakers football team in receiving his senior season and was a two time All-Big Ten (2nd Team) end.[11][12]

As a collegiate basketball player at center, Lamar scored 678 points (73rd all-time for the Boilermakers) and collected 533 rebounds (29th all-time for the Boilermakers).[11][2] He averaged 10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game from 1954 to 1957.[12] He was a 3rd team All-Big Ten Center in 1957.[2]

Lundy was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1975, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Purdue Hall of Fame in 1995; being one of only two people inducted into both Indiana's football and basketball halls of fame.[3][5] In June of 1968, he was honored by the city of Richmond.[3] Lundy played in the Chicago All Star game, where college all-stars played an NFL team.[3]

In 2023, the John Purdue Club created the Lundy League, a capital gift society for donors to support Purdue Athletics, and to honor Lundy and his "above and beyond" mentality.[11]

Professional career

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At 6'7" or 6'8" and 245 or 250 pounds,[13][6] Lundy was selected by both NFL and the NBA teams, but he opted for a career in football. He was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1957 NBA draft, and the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 1957 NFL draft (47th overall).[3][13] Early in his professional career (1957-1959), Lundy (number 85) played mostly at tight end,[14] catching 35 passes for 584 yards, a 16.7 yards per catch average, and 6 touchdowns. Twenty-five of those receptions were in 1958.[13] He switched to defensive end full time in 1960.[14] He scored an additional 3 touchdowns on interception returns, an NFL record for defensive linemen[3] (and the only 3 interceptions of his NFL career[13]).

He was a member of the Rams "Fearsome Foursome" defensive lines, with hall of fame defensive end Deacon Jones and hall of fame tackle Merlin Olsen, and originally tackle Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier in the mid-1960s and then from 1967 to 1969 tackle Roger Brown, with some considering them the most dominant defensive line in NFL history.[15][16][3][6] Jones, a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team at defensive end (Olsen holding the same honor at tackle),[17] considered Lundy his mentor in Jones' difficult early years with the Rams.[12][14] Lundy was on the Rams defense that ended hall of fame, and 100th anniversary team member, Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas's 47 game touchdown streak.[6]

Lundy played 152 games over thirteen years for the Rams, leading the team in quarterback sacks in 1961, with 60.5 sacks over his Rams' career.[3][13] He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1959, and was All Pro in 1967.[3][13][18] When he retired as a player, Lundy became an assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers under hall of famer Sid Gillman, but was forced by illness to cease coaching.[3][4]

Death

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Lundy died at age 71 on February 24, 2007. He was the first of the Fearsome Foursome to pass away. Lundy was ill with diabetes, Graves disease, myasthenia gravis, cancer, and heart disease. At the time of his death he had 5 children, 19 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.[14]

Honors

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References

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  1. ^ "There Were Giants in the Earth - Lost in Space (Classic) (Season 1, Episode 4) - Apple TV". Apple TV. October 6, 1965. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Lamar Lundy, Richmond High School Alumni Association". Archived from the original on February 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "LUNDY, LAMAR". Indiana Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Obituary for Lamar Lundy Jr. at Community Family Funeral Home". www.communityfamilyfh.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Lamar Lundy (PE '57)". Purdue Alumnus. 96. May 1, 2007.
  6. ^ a b c d Martin, Steve. "Out of Our Past: Richmond native Lumar Lundy was part of the Fearsome Foursome". Palladium-Item. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  7. ^ "Lamar Lundy - Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame". hoopshall.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  8. ^ "Richmond honors 7 players with pro connections". Palladium-Item. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  9. ^ "Lamar Lundy, Richmond High School Alumni Association". Archived from the original on February 4, 2023.
  10. ^ "Lamar Lundy, member of 'Fearsome Foursome,' dies". ESPN.com. February 24, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Lamar Lundy League". Purdue for Life Foundation. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Robinos, Gerry (February 26, 2020). "Gridiron Legacy: Lamar Lundy". Purdue Alumnus. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e f "Lamar Lundy Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d Goldstein, Richard (February 26, 2007). "Lamar Lundy, Lineman on Rams Fearsome Foursome, Dies at 71". New York Times.
  15. ^ "Roger Brown (2009) - Hall of Fame". National Football Foundation. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  16. ^ Barrall, Andy (March 11, 2010). "The Fifth Down, Remembering Merlin Olsen, the Football Player". New York Times.
  17. ^ "NFL 100". NFL.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  18. ^ "1967 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  19. ^ Lundy http://www.hoopshall.com/hall-of-fame/lamar-lundy/?query=misc1.eq.Richmond&xsearch_id=HallofFame_Highschool&xsearch[0]=Richmond&back=HallofFame|Lamar Lundy]
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