Raymond Berry, a Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts who later coached the New England Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance, has died at 93.
Berry passed away on May 25 in Murfreesboro, Tenn., while surrounded by loved ones, his family said in a statement released Monday by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Berry made six Pro Bowls and three All-Pro first teams during a 13-year career with the Colts from 1955-67, winning NFL championships in 1958 and 1959 alongside quarterback and fellow Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas.
Inducted into Canton’s Class of 1973 in his first year of eligibility, Berry led the NFL in receiving yards three times and touchdown catches twice. He retired with 631 receptions for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns in 154 regular-season games (139 starts). The Colts retired his No. 82 and the Baltimore Ravens inducted him into their Ring of Honor.
“People said Raymond Berry was not blessed with the size or speed of other receivers in the National Football League, but no one worked harder to refine his skills and master his craft. The chemistry he developed with quarterback Johnny Unitas through hours of route-running thousands of repetitions in practice created a dynamic tandem that thought with one mind on game days,” Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter said. “Together they helped the Colts win consecutive titles in the late 1950s, including the classic 1958 NFL Championship Game that served as a springboard for professional football becoming this country’s most popular sport.
“On top of that, there was no finer gentleman — a person who remained humble and grounded when others sought to thrust stardom upon him.”
Berry starred in “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” the 1958 NFL title game in which his Colts defeated the New York Giants 23-17 at Yankee Stadium. He caught 12 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown.
Moving into coaching, Berry was an assistant in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys (1968-69), Detroit Lions (1973-75), Cleveland Browns (1976-77) and Patriots (1978-81) and in college at Arkansas (1970-72).
Named head coach of the Patriots midway through the 1984 season, Berry compiled a 48-39 record through 1989. In 1985, he guided New England from a wild-card berth to an AFC championship and a date in Super Bowl XX with the mighty Chicago Bears, who prevailed 46-10. The Patriots won the AFC East the following season but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs.
“Raymond Berry holds a special place in Patriots history,” said Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “He led our franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance following a remarkable playoff run, a milestone that was the greatest achievement in team history at the time. I was fortunate to get to know Raymond over the years, and one of my fondest memories was spending time with him and his son, Mark, during a trip to Israel in 2015 with several fellow Pro Football Hall of Famers. He was every bit the gentleman people knew him to be; humble, faithful, kind and deeply respected by all who knew him.
“The entire Patriots family joins me in mourning Raymond’s passing and celebrating a life that left a lasting impact on our franchise and the National Football League. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Berry family and all who mourn his loss.”
Berry later coached quarterbacks with the Lions (1991) and Denver Broncos (1992).
