May 15, 1963 - Five Cadillacs bearing his three ex-wives, his fiancée, and the grandfather who reared him escorted Eugene (Big Daddy) Lipscomb to his grave today, following a funeral in Detroit attended by 500 persons. Pallbearers for the star defensive tackle of the NFL, who died last Friday of an overdose of heroin, were fellow professional football players. As it left the funeral home, Lipscomb’s casket was draped with a flag, a reminder of his status as a former member of the United States Marine Corps. He never went to college, and it was at Camp Pendleton that his football prowess attracted Los Angeles scouts and led to a 10-year career in the NFL. Lenny Moore and Jim Parker of the Baltimore Colts, Jim Plunkett of the San Diego Chargers, John Henry Johnson of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dick (Night Train) Lane of the Detroit Lions, John Sample of the Washington Redskins, and Luke Owens of the St. Louis Cardinals carried Lipscomb’s casket to his final resting place.
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