Hall of Fame Baltimore Colts receiver Raymond Berry dies at 93

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Baltimore Colts legendary receiver Raymond Berry has died at 93.

A Pro Football Hall of Famer, Berry played his entire career in Baltimore, catching passes from legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas. He died May 25 surrounded by family, according to the statement his family released through the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Berry’s number, 82, was retired by the Colts, who were played in Baltimore from 1953-1983. He is also in the Ring of Honor for Baltimore’s current team, the Ravens.

A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Berry was named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team in 2019, marking the league’s 100th anniversary. Over his 13 seasons from 1955 to 1967, he led the league in catches and yards three times and in touchdowns twice.

Berry helped bring Baltimore two titles, including the 1958 NFL Championship, which as come to be known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” The 23-17 win over the New York Giants was the first sudden-death win in the NFL, and it is considered responsible for elevating the popularity of pro football, now the country’s most-watched sport.

Berry stood out in that game, catching 12 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown in an era where the passing was less prominent. His 12 catches held up as a championship game record until 2014.

The next season, when the Colts won their second championship, Berry led the league in receptions (66), receiving yards (959) and receiving TDs (14) over a 12-game season. He is one of just six players to lead the league in all of those categories in a single season.

While the Colts did not win the 1960 championship, Berry continued to stand out. He caught 74 passes for 1,298 yards when only three other players topped 50 catches that season. It was Berry’s best career season, and he was named an All-Pro for the third straight year.

When Berry’s playing career came to a close in 1967, he retired with a then-record 631 receptions for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns.

Berry helped elevate the art of route running, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he was known for his sure hands. He finished with just one fumble in 13 years.

He and Unitas, who joined the Colts one year after him, became one of the best pass-catching duos in NFL history.

His greatness was formed through repetition and work ethic. Many have remarked over the years that Berry was not the biggest or the fastest, but he would always stay after practice for extra reps, and he found ways to get open. Berry said he had 88 moves to shake defenders, and he practiced them relentlessly.

He also had an impressive vertical and developed strong hands, helping him to win what has now become referred to as the “50-50 ball.”

“I hated to drop a football,” Berry said in an interview used in “The Top 100 Greatest Players” from NFL Films. “It’s what motivated me … Every day, every week, I just drilled and drilled and drilled on making the catches that I did not know when they were going to come up in a game, I just knew they were (coming) sometime or another.”

Raymond Emmett Berry was born Feb. 27, 1933 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

He was not considered a natural athlete and didn’t start on his high school football team until his senior year, according to his Pro Football Hall of Fame biography, even though his father was the coach.

Berry played one year at a junior college before enrolling at Southern Methodist University, where he only had one modest season as a pass catcher while also spending time at linebacker and defensive end. After being drafted in the 20th round of 1954 NFL Draft, Berry took his opportunity and ran with it, retiring as one of the game’s greatest players.

Following his playing days, Berry transitioned into coaching. He worked as a college coach and an assistant NFL coach before being named head coach of the New England Patriots in 1984.

The next season, Berry led the Patriots to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Chicago Bears.

He coached the Patriots until he was fired in 1989 and finished with a record of 48-39.

“Raymond Berry is a football icon,” the Ravens said in a statement. “As one of the greatest wide receivers in league history, he routinely thrilled fans with his clutch playmaking, precise approach and unmatched work ethic. His impact on Baltimore sports and the NFL will endure forever.”