Yale Lary, a Hall of Fame safety and a superb punter who helped take the Detroit Lions to three N.F.L. championships in the 1950s, died on Thursday at his home in Fort Worth. He was 86.
His death was announced by the Lions.
Playing with Detroit for 11 seasons, Lary appeared in nine Pro Bowls and was voted to the N.F.L.’s all-decade team for the 1950s.
“The combination of speed and quickness made him a real ballhawk,” Raymond Berry, a Hall of Fame receiver for the Baltimore Colts, told The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He was one of the defensive backs that had such a nose for the football that you had to be careful throwing around him, because if you made a mistake, the ball will be in his hands going the other direction.