Lamar Lundy

Distinguished Alumnus Lamar Lundy II, Class of 1953

Born on April 17, 1935, in Richmond, Lamar Lundy II graduated in 1953, the star of both the RHS football and basketball teams.  At 6 feet 7 inches,  and weighing 250 pounds, he towered over his competitors.

Lundy was named to the All-State Team in 1951 and 1952 in football and the Indiana All-Star Team in 1953.  He helped take the RHS basketball team to the semistate in 1953.

His football coach, Bill Elias, who left RHS to coach football at Purdue University, helped Lundy become the first African American to go to Purdue on a football scholarship.  He played both football and basketball all four years at Purdue, being named MVP for both sports in his senior year.  No other athlete has ever accomplished that at Purdue.  Lundy was scouted by both the NFL and NBA to play professionally.

While at Purdue he was named third team Big Ten center in 1957. His Boilermaker record was 678 points, ranking him seventy-third on the all-time points list, and 533 rebounds, ranking him twenty-ninth on the all time rebounds list in basketball for Purdue.

He was drafted by both the NBA and NFL but elected to play football for the Los Angeles Rams.

His career with the Rams spanned thirteen seasons, sometimes playing offensive receiver and one year catching thirty-five passes for 584 yards and scoring six touchdowns.  He scored three more touchdowns, all interceptions,  after playing defense.  He was part of the Pro Bowl in 1959 and was an All-Pro selection in 1967.

The defense for the Rams became legendary with Lundy part of the “Fearsome Foursome.”  The other three members were Deacon Jones (not from RHS), Merlin Olsen, and Rosey Grier. In all, he played in 152 NFL games.

At retirement he became the assistant coach to the San Diego Chargers.  A little-known fact is that Lamar appeared in the pilot of Lost in Space as a cyclops.  The pilot did not appear until the fourth episode which was “There Were Giants in the Earth.”

Lamar Lundy II was inducted into  both the Indiana Football Hall of Fame and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He returned to Richmond and helped raise funds for Townsend Center.  He was married four times, first to Etta Patterson, class of  1953, with whom he had four children: Lamar III (Marty), Vicki, Tara, and Annie.  He died in Richmond February 24, 2007, after years of illness.  The Main Street bridge on National Road in Richmond was renamed Lamar Lundy Bridge in his honor.  He was chosen as a Distinguished Alumnus in 1998.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  380 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond, IN 47374

 (765) 973-3338