Raymond Berry, the Hall of Fame wide receiver who formed one of the NFL's greatest passing duos with quarterback Johnny Unitas and helped lead the Baltimore Colts to victory in the iconic 1958 championship game, has passed away at the age of 93.
Berry, who later coached the New England Patriots to Super Bowl XX, died on May 25, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, surrounded by loved ones, including his wife of 65 years, Sally.
Selected in the 20th round of the 1954 NFL Draft out of Southern Methodist University, the Texas native became a symbol of perseverance and hard work. Despite having average speed, legs of different lengths, a bad back, imperfect eyesight, and oversized feet that earned him the nickname "Skis" in high school, Berry transformed himself into a superstar through meticulous preparation and study. He used Silly Putty to strengthen his fingers and simulated entire games on the practice field to hone his skills.
Berry was one of the most reliable receivers in league history, rarely dropping passes and fumbling only twice in his career, according to Pro Football Reference. He developed 88 distinct routes to get open, a discipline so rigorous that even his coach, Weeb Ewbank, tried to intervene. "One of his drills was to throw nothing but bad balls to him," Ewbank told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "I used to have to run John (Unitas) off — 'John, you've had enough throwing today' — and he'd say, 'Yeah, talk to that guy out there.'"
Over 13 seasons, Berry caught a then-record 631 passes (now surpassed by Jerry Rice's 1,549) for 68 touchdowns, led the NFL in receptions three times, and played in six Pro Bowls. He was a key component of one of the league's top offenses, alongside Unitas, running back Lenny Moore, and offensive lineman Jim Parker. Berry played on championship teams in 1958 and 1959 and a runner-up in 1964.
Berry was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1973 and was named to the league's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. The Colts retired his jersey number 82, and SMU retired his college number 87.
A Performance for the Ages
Berry delivered a legendary performance in the 1958 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium, an overtime classic often cited as one of the greatest games in NFL history and a catalyst for the league's rise in popularity. Facing the NFL's toughest defense, Berry caught 12 passes for 178 yards and one touchdown, including three consecutive receptions during the 86-yard drive that tied the game 17-17 in regulation and two crucial grabs during the 80-yard drive that secured a 23-17 victory. The first championship game to go into overtime made Unitas a hero and Berry his ideal target. "We worked and got to know each other and developed timing you just can't get any other way," Berry later said. "He (Unitas) knew I was going to be there when I was supposed to be there and he knew I was going to catch it."
A Fight for Drug Testing
After retiring as a player in 1967, Berry served as a wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and New England Patriots, and was head coach of the Patriots from 1984 to 1989. He finished with a 48-39 record, including an 11-5 season in 1985 and a trip to Super Bowl XX, where the Patriots lost 46-10 to the Chicago Bears. Shortly after, the Boston Globe reported that several Patriots players had drug problems. Berry, who was a source for the article, pushed for drug testing, but faced strong opposition from the NFL Players Association.
A deeply religious man who did not drink or smoke, Berry had personal reasons for advocating drug treatment. His former Colts teammate, All-Pro defensive tackle Gene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, had struggled with addiction. "They didn't help him, they just cut him," Berry told The Patriot Ledger in 1986. "Three years later, he was dead."
Berry married fellow Texan Sally Crook in 1960, and they had three children. He was born in Corpus Christi in 1933 and credited some of his success to his high school coach, his father Mark Raymond Berry, who taught him the basics of football. After a year at Schreiner College, he transferred to SMU, where he fumbled twice in a crucial game, mistakes he vowed not to repeat in the pros. With the Colts, he caught only 13 passes in his rookie season, but the following year the team signed a free agent quarterback cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers — Johnny Unitas. The two soon began practicing together. "I didn't know my butt from first base about how to run pass routes," Berry said. "If you saw both of us in training camp in 1956, you may have gone away sobbing. We were two pitiful football players, good grief."
