Raymond Berry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Raymond Berry

Berry on a 1961 trading card
No. 82
Position:	Split end
Personal information
Born:	(1933-02-27) February 27, 1933 (age 92) Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	187 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High school:	Paris (Paris, Texas)
College:	Shreiner (1950) SMU (1951–1954)
NFL Draft:	1954 / Round: 20 / Pick: 232
Career history
As player:
Baltimore Colts (1955)
As coach:
Dallas Cowboys (1968) Wide receivers coach Arkansas (1970–1972) Wide receivers coach Detroit Lions (1973) Wide receivers Cleveland Browns (1976) Wide receivers New England Patriots (1978) Wide receivers New England Patriots (1984) Head coach Detroit Lions (1991) Quarterbacks coach Denver Broncos (1992) Quarterbacks coach
Career highlights and awards
As a player 2× NFL champion (1958, 1959) 3× First-team All-Pro (1958–1960) 3× Second-team All-Pro (1957, 1961, 1965) 6× Pro Bowl (1958–1961, 1963, 1964) 3× NFL receiving yards leader (1957, 1959, 1960) 3× NFL receptions leader (1958–1960) 2× NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1958, 1959) NFL 1950s All-Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor Indianapolis Colts No. 82 retired Second-team All-SWC (1954) SMU Mustangs Jersey No. 87 honored As a coach New England Patriots All-1980s Team
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 631 Receiving yards: 9,275 Receiving touchdowns: 68
Head coaching record
Regular season:	48–39 (.552)
Postseason:	3–2 (.600)
Career:	51–41 (.554)
Player stats at PFR
Coaching stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Raymond Emmett Berry Jr. (born February 27, 1933) is a famous American former football player and coach. He played as a split end for the Baltimore Colts from 1955 to 1967. After his playing career, he became a coach, even leading the New England Patriots as their head coach from 1984 to 1989.

During his time with the Colts, Berry was one of the best receivers in the National Football League (NFL). He led the league in catches and receiving yards three times. He also led in receiving touchdowns twice. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times. The Colts won two NFL championships with him, including the famous 1958 NFL Championship Game. This game is often called "The Greatest Game Ever Played." In that game, Berry caught 12 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. When he retired, he held the NFL records for most career catches and receiving yards.

Raymond Berry was not a star player in high school or college. He was picked very late in the 1954 NFL draft and was not expected to make the team. However, he worked incredibly hard and paid close attention to every detail. He became known for running his routes perfectly and almost never dropping a pass. He was a favorite target for legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas. Many people consider them one of the best passing duos in football history.

After playing, Berry coached wide receivers for several teams. He became the head coach for the New England Patriots in 1984. He led them to Super Bowl XX in 1985, though they lost to the Chicago Bears. Raymond Berry was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973. He is also on the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams. His jersey number 82 was retired by the Indianapolis Colts. As of 2025, he is the oldest living former player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Early Life and College Football

Raymond Emmett Berry Jr. was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on February 27, 1933. He grew up mostly in Paris, Texas. In high school and college, Berry did not catch many passes. He didn't even start on his high school team until his senior year, even though his father was the coach.

After high school, Berry played one year of junior college football at Shreiner Institute in 1950. He then moved to Southern Methodist University (SMU). In three seasons at SMU, Berry caught only 33 passes in total. This was partly because colleges in the 1950s focused more on running plays. Berry himself said, "I didn't catch many passes because not many were thrown." He also played outside linebacker and defensive end for SMU.

Amazing Professional Playing Career

Raymond Berry playing in 1960

The Baltimore Colts picked Raymond Berry in the 20th round of the 1954 NFL draft. He was the 203rd player chosen overall. Many thought he wouldn't even make the team. In his first year, he caught only 13 passes. But in his second season, he became a regular starter when the Colts got quarterback Johnny Unitas.

Over the next 12 seasons, Berry and Unitas became one of the best passing duos in NFL history. Berry played in every game until his eighth year. He led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards three times. He also led the league in receiving touchdowns twice.

Leading the League in Catches

In 1957, Berry caught 47 passes for 800 yards and six touchdowns. He led the NFL in receiving yards for the first time. That year, in a cold game against the Washington Redskins, Unitas threw 12 passes to Berry. Berry caught them for 224 yards and two touchdowns. He was named a first-team All-Pro player.

The next year, 1958, he had 794 receiving yards. He led the league with 56 catches and nine touchdowns. For his great play, Berry was invited to his first Pro Bowl. He was also a first-team All-Pro. The Colts won their division and went on to play the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game.

The Greatest Game Ever Played

One of Berry's most famous games was the 1958 NFL Championship Game. This game is known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played." Berry helped the Colts win their first championship. He caught 12 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown. This was a record for a championship game at the time.

At the end of the game, with time running out, he caught three passes in a row for 62 yards. This helped the Colts tie the game with a field goal. In overtime, he made two more important catches for 33 yards. These catches helped the Colts score the winning touchdown. His 12 catches remained an NFL championship game record for over 50 years.

More Championships and Records

In 1959, Berry led the NFL in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was only the fourth player to achieve this "triple crown" in receiving. His 14 receiving touchdowns set a Colts team record that lasted for over 40 years. He went to his second Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro again. The Colts won their second straight championship, beating the Giants again, 31–16. In that game, Berry caught five passes for 68 yards.

In 1960, Berry had his only season with over 1,000 receiving yards. He caught 74 passes for 1,298 yards. This was a career high for him. He led the NFL in both catches and yards by a lot. He had six straight games with over 100 yards in the middle of the season. During that time, he caught 50 passes for 920 yards and eight touchdowns. He was invited to the Pro Bowl again and was a unanimous All-Pro choice.

After 1960, Berry's statistics were not as high, but he remained a reliable target for Unitas. In 1961, he had 75 catches, which was second-most in the league. He scored the first touchdown of the 1962 Pro Bowl. He returned to the Pro Bowl in 1963 and 1964. The Colts made it to the 1964 championship game, but lost to the Cleveland Browns.

After the 1966 season, Berry missed half of the 1967 season due to injuries. He caught only 11 passes that year. He announced his retirement soon after the season ended. He finished his career with 631 catches for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns. At the time, he held the NFL career records for catches and receiving yards.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Postseason Stats

Coaching Career Highlights

After retiring as a player, Berry became a coach. He started as a receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 1968. He also coached receivers for the University of Arkansas, the Detroit Lions, and the Cleveland Browns.

In 1978, Berry joined the New England Patriots as their receivers coach. He left football for a short time in 1981 to work in real estate. But in the middle of the 1984 season, the Patriots hired him to be their head coach. Under his leadership, the Patriots won four of their last eight games that year. Players immediately respected him.

Leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl

In the 1985 season, the Patriots got even better. They finished with an 11–5 record and made the playoffs. They became the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road. They beat the New York Jets, the Los Angeles Raiders, and the Miami Dolphins. It was a big deal because the Patriots had not beaten the Dolphins in Miami since 1966.

Despite their success, the Patriots were big underdogs against the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. They lost the game 46–10. It was the most one-sided Super Bowl defeat at that time. Berry admitted, "We couldn't protect the quarterback, and that was my fault."

The next season, 1986, Berry's Patriots again had an 11–5 record and made the playoffs. They won their division title. However, they lost in the first round of the postseason. This was Berry's last playoff appearance with the Patriots. The team didn't make the playoffs again until 1994.

Berry coached the Patriots until the end of the 1989 season. He finished with a regular-season coaching record of 48 wins and 39 losses. He had 3 wins and 2 losses in the playoffs. After leaving the Patriots, Berry coached quarterbacks for the Detroit Lions in 1991 and the Denver Broncos in 1992.

Coaching Record

How Raymond Berry Succeeded

Raymond Berry became famous for overcoming physical challenges during his football career. He was thin and often got injured. Some people even joked about his appearance. It was rumored that one of his legs was shorter than the other, making him wear special padding in his shoe. However, Berry said this wasn't entirely true. He had a back issue that sometimes made one leg seem shorter, but it wasn't permanent. He wore a back brace for 13 years in the NFL to help with this.

Berry also had poor eyesight and wore contact lenses when he played. He tried many different lenses to find ones that worked well, even tinted ones for sunny days.

Berry was known for his incredible attention to detail and preparation. He used this to make up for not being the fastest wide receiver. He was famous for his precise pass patterns and his amazing hands. He rarely dropped passes and only fumbled once in his entire career. He would squeeze Silly Putty to make his hands stronger!

He and quarterback Johnny Unitas practiced together a lot after regular team practices. They worked on their timing and understanding of each other. Berry said they had to "start all over on our timing" every season. He also had 88 different moves to get open from defenders, and he practiced every single one each week.

Raymond Berry was a quiet and reserved person. He didn't like to draw attention to himself. Both as a player and a coach, he was serious and very organized.

Honors and Achievements

In 1973, Raymond Berry was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He is also a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, chosen in 2019. He was also on the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and the National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team.

In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him 40th on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. In 2021, The Athletic named him the 63rd greatest player ever. The Indianapolis Colts retired his number 82 jersey. He is also part of the Patriots' 1980s All-Decade Team as a coach. He is honored in the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor.

Personal Life

Raymond Berry is a Christian and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He says his faith is a "huge part" of his life. As of 2009, he lives with his wife in Tennessee.

On February 5, 2012, at Super Bowl XLVI, Berry had the honor of carrying the Vince Lombardi Trophy to midfield. He presented it to the New York Giants, who had just beaten the New England Patriots. He was given this honor because the game was played at Lucas Oil Stadium, which is the home stadium of his former team, the Colts. The Colts had moved to Indianapolis in 1984.