Yarbrough was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.[1] He grew up in Arcadia, Florida, where he attended DeSoto County High School,[2] and played high school football for the DeSoto Bulldogs. Yarbrough was an offensive end, doubled on defense as a roving "monster man" linebacker, and also kicked most of the extra points for the Bulldogs. He was also a shot-putter on the DeSoto County High School track team and center on the basketball team.
Yarbrough returned to Florida during the NFL off-season to complete his bachelor's degree in marketing in 1971, and he was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."[4] In a 2006 article series written for The Gainesville Sun, he was ranked among the 100 greatest Gator football players of all time (No. 98).[5] In the fall of 1999 Yarbrough was named as the Tight End on the Gators All-Century team as chosen by Gator fans and organized by the Gainesville Sun.
Professional career
The Detroit Lions chose Yarbrough in the second round (47th pick overall) of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft,[6] and he played his entire nine-season professional career for the Lions as an offensive tackle from 1969 to 1977.[7] He became a regular starter at left tackle in his third season, 1971.[1]
^National Football League, Draft History, 1969. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
^National Football League, Historical Players, Jim Yarbrough. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
Bibliography
Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN0-7948-2298-3.
Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN0-9650782-1-3.
Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN1-58261-514-4.