Raymond Berry, former Baltimore Colts star and New England Patriots head coach, dies at 93
Pro Football Hall of Famer Raymond Berry, a former Baltimore Colts star and New England Patriots head coach, has died, his family said. He was 93.
Berry was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 1973. Officials with the Hall of Fame said he died at his home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, while surrounded by his family. Berry is survived by his wife of 65 years, his three children and nine grandchildren.
"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," Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement. "...there was no finer gentleman – a person who remained humble and grounded when others sought to thrust stardom upon him."
Berry with the Baltimore Colts
Berry played 13 seasons with the Baltimore Colts, between 1955 and 1967. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and played on two NFL championship teams.
He led the league in receptions in 1957, 1959, and 1960 and retired as the NFL's all-time receptions leader.
"The chemistry he developed with quarterback Johnny Unitas through hours of route-running and thousands of repetitions in practice created a dynamic tandem that thought with one mind on game days," 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."
Head coach of New England Patriots
Berry joined the New England Patriots in 1978 as a receivers coach, taking over as interim head coach in 1984 when Ron Meyer was fired.
During his first full season as head coach in 1985, Berry led New England to the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Berry's Patriots were defeated 46-10 by the Chicago Bears after winning the AFC title that year.
In six years with the Patriots, Berry had a 48-39 record and four seasons above .500.
"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... He was every bit the gentleman people knew him to be; humble, faithful, kind and deeply respected by all who knew him."
