Lem Barney ranks in the all-time elite tier for defensive backs — a career that places Barney in the top 10% of all players at the position. The Knox value model assigns Barney a career score of 70, reflecting sustained impact that most players at the position never approach.
Season totals or exact team stints. Career totals count each season once.
Career games unavailable for incomplete season coverage. Verified career totals remain shown; career per-game figures require complete coverage.
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Defense | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | |||||
| 1967 | 21–22 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 0 | — | — |
| 1968 | 22–23 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 5 | — | — |
| 1969 | 23–24 | DET | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| 1970 | 24–25 | DET | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 0 | — | — |
| 1971 | 25–26 | DET | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| 1972 | 26–27 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 1973 | 27–28 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 3 | — | — |
| 1974 | 28–29 | DET | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 0 | — | — |
| 1975 | 29–30 | DET | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 1976 | 30–31 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| 1977 | 31–32 | DET | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — |
| Career | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 17 | — | — | |
Career Value · VORP
184 career value over replacement — #452 all-time of 4,695. 16.7/season above a replacement-level CB.
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11 seasons · peak 11.5 in 1967
VAL (Value Above League) measures each NFL season against that season's league; the dashed line is zero — a season that added nothing above the league's fringe. ● peak · ○ league-best season.
5.1 career wins over 11 seasons · 1 win = 13.08 VAL
Best season · 1967 · +0.9 wins
Latest season · 1977 · +0.2 wins
VAL 3.0 measures each part of a NFL player's game in his sport's own currency against what that season's fringe players produced, converted to team wins with rates fitted from every team-season in the encyclopedia.
#103 of 1,089 all-time defensive backs by KV-H
| Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Tkl | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sk | Dis | Int | PD | FF | FR | TD | Sfty | VAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 21–22 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 0 | — | — | 11.5 |
| 1968 | 22–23 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 9.8 |
| 1969 | 23–24 | DET | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 8.3 |
| 1970 | 24–25 | DET | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 0 | — | — | 8.1 |
| 1971 | 25–26 | DET | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2.8 |
| 1972 | 26–27 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 5.8 |
| 1973 | 27–28 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 3 | — | — | 6.6 |
| 1974 | 28–29 | DET | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 0 | — | — | 4.8 |
| 1975 | 29–30 | DET | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 4.8 |
| 1976 | 30–31 | DET | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1.5 |
| 1977 | 31–32 | DET | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2.6 |
| Career | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | 0.0 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 17 | — | — | 66.6 |
Career games and per-game totals are unavailable because the season rows do not establish complete career coverage. Published career totals are preserved.
A great career by KV-H: a peak-driven profile that scores 70 of 100, era-normalized against int/g peers across 11 scored seasons.
Blend 70.4 × longevity 1 = KV-H 70· confidence 100%
Season-by-season quality (era-relative int/g)
Dominique Franks
CB
85% match