Former Detroit Lions Wide Receiver Has Died

The Detroit Lions family is mourning the loss of one of its standout receivers from the 1970s after Ray Jarvis passed away Aug. 3 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He was 77.

Jarvis spent five seasons with the Lions from 1974 through 1978, and those years marked the high point of his nine-year NFL career. Fans who packed the stands at the old Pontiac Silverdome still talk about the deep threats he provided and the big plays he delivered when the offense needed them most.

In 1975, Jarvis led the Lions in receiving with 29 catches for 501 yards and four touchdowns. The next year he took it up a notch, hauling in 39 passes for 822 yards and five scores. That 1976 season earned him the team’s offensive MVP award, and his average of 26.1 yards per catch topped the entire NFC.

Those numbers came after Jarvis joined the Lions late in the 1974 training camp. He had bounced around earlier, first with the Atlanta Falcons after they selected him in the fifth round of the 1971 draft, then a brief stop with the Buffalo Bills. Once he put on the Honolulu blue and silver, everything clicked.

Born Feb. 2, 1949, in Chesapeake, Virginia, Jarvis arrived in the NFL with a proven track record as a big-play threat. At Norfolk State he put together a college career from 1967 to 1970 that still ranks among the best in school history. He finished with 2,211 receiving yards, fourth all-time for the Spartans, and his 30.8 yards-per-catch average in 1970 remains a single-season record more than 50 years later.

Lions teammates and coaches appreciated the speed and reliability Jarvis brought to the wide receiver group during an era when the franchise was fighting to climb the standings. His ability to stretch the field opened up running lanes and created opportunities for the rest of the offense.

After his time in Detroit, Jarvis played one final season with the New England Patriots in 1979 before hanging up his cleats. He left the game with career totals of 104 receptions for 1,832 yards and 11 touchdowns.

In 2023, Norfolk State inducted Jarvis into its Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing both his college production and his professional accomplishments. The honor capped a journey that began at a historically Black college program building its reputation and carried him through nearly a decade in the NFL.

In his later years, Jarvis was among the former players whose family pursued claims through the league’s concussion settlement. The process highlighted the difficulties many of the game’s older retirees faced when seeking benefits.

According to a social media post by his wife, Ahdea, Jarvis had been in hospice care since last year as he dealt with symptoms related to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.He is survived by Ahdea, daughters Rahdea and Shani, and five siblings.

For Lions fans who remember those mid-1970s teams, Jarvis remains a symbol of the explosive plays that could light up a Sunday afternoon.

His contributions on the field and the respect he earned off it will not be forgotten in Detroit.