Former NFL wide receiver Ray Jarvis dies at 77

Ray Jarvis, who played for four teams during his nine-year NFL career and had a Hall of Fame college career at Norfolk State University, died on Monday, according to his obituary. He was 77.

Leon Raeminton “Ray” Jarvis died in Waukesha, Wisconsin, according to his obituary. He was born on Feb. 2, 1949, in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Jarvis excelled at Norfolk State from 1967 to 1970, finishing with 2,211 receiving yards, The Virginian-Pilot reported. That is fourth in the program’s history.

He still holds the program’s single-season record for yards per reception after averaging 30.8 yards per catch in 1970, according to the newspaper.

Jarvis was selected in the fifth round of the 1971 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

After spending two seasons in Atlanta and one with the Buffalo Bills, Jarvis spent the bulk of his career with the Detroit Lions, playing in the Motor City from 1974 to 1978. His final season in the NFL came in 1979 with the New England Patriots.

During his career, Jarvis caught 104 passes for 1,832 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best season came in 1976 with Detroit, when he had career highs in receptions (39), yards (822) and touchdowns (five).

Jarvis was inducted into Norfolk State’s Hall of Fame in 2023.

“Today a great man, husband, and father passed into God’s gardens of paradise,” his wife, Ahdea Jarvis told The Virginian-Pilot. “He is no longer in pain; he is no longer suffering. Now we mourn our great loss.”

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