Raymond Berry, the Hall of Fame player and beloved head coach who guided the New England Patriots to the first of their NFL record 12 Super Bowls, has died at age 93, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Monday. Tributes quickly poured in from across the NFL, including a statement from Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Berry’s death marks the loss of one of the most influential figures in franchise history, a coach whose impact on the Patriots helped lay the foundation for the organization’s rise into one of the NFL’s most successful franchises.
His family confirmed through the Hall of Fame that Berry died peacefully on May 25 at his home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, surrounded by loved ones, including his wife of 65 years, Sally. No specific cause of death has been revealed at this time.
Robert Kraft, NFL Figures React to Raymond Berry’s Passing
“Raymond Berry holds a special place in Patriots history,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement Monday. “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.”
Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter praised Berry’s work ethic.
“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,” Porter said.
The Baltimore Ravens, for their part, called Berry “a football icon” whose impact on the sport “will endure forever,” in a statement quoted by ESPN. Berry played his entire 13-year NFL career in Baltimore, as a five-time All-Pro receiver for the Colts.
Berry took over New England midway through 1984 after the team fired head coach Ron Meyer eight games into the season. What followed the next year remains perhaps the most improbable postseason run in franchise history.
The 1985 New England Patriots finished at 11-5, entered the playoffs as a wild-card entry, won three road games, and reached Super Bowl XX in New Orleans. There they ran into a Chicago Bears juggernaut, losing to the Bears 46-10.
Berry coached New England for six full seasons, going 48-39 overall and 3-2 in the playoffs.
Raymond Berry’s Record-Setting Career as a Player
As a player, Berry’s career numbers were something else entirely.
Selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 20th round of the 1954 draft out of SMU, Berry caught 631 passes for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns over 13 seasons, pairing with legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas. When he retired after 1967, those 631 receptions stood as the NFL record. He fumbled exactly once. Berry earned six Pro Bowl selections and three consecutive first-team All-Pro nods from 1957 through 1959, leading the league in receptions all three years.
His signature moment came in the 1958 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants, now known as The Greatest Game Ever Played. Berry caught 12 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown as the Colts won 23-17 in the first sudden-death game in league history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Colts retired his No. 82.
“Simply put, not only was Raymond Berry one of the greatest players in the history of the Colts, but he was one of the most influential and foundational players of the modern NFL,” Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in a statement released by the franchise.
Beloved Patriots Super Bowl Coach Raymond Berry Dies at 93, Tributes Pour In