Raymond Berry, the Hall of Fame wide receiver who teamed with Baltimore quarterback Johnny Unitas for one of the NFL's greatest passing combinations—connecting 631 times—and helped lead the Colts to victory over the New York Giants in the storied 1958 championship game, has died. He was 93. Berry died May 25 at home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the AP reports. "In NFL history, there are only a handful of players who we can say truly changed the sport. Raymond Berry is one of the few names on that list," said Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon, adding that Berry "redefined the standard for what a wide receiver could and should be." When he retired, Berry was the top pass catcher in pro football history, per the New York Times.
A 20th-round draft pick out of SMU in 1954, the Texas native became a model of hard work and determination, per the AP. He had average speed, legs of different length, a bad back, imperfect eyesight, and oversize feet that in high school brought him the nickname "Skis." But he willed himself into a superstar through exhaustive preparation and study, whether using Silly Putty to strengthen his fingers or simulating entire games on the practice field. He was among the most reliable receivers in league history, rarely dropping a pass and fumbling only twice, according to the Pro Football Reference website. By his own count, he developed 88 routes to get open. "Raymond had none of the characteristics you normally attribute to a great pass receiver," Weeb Ewbank, who coached Berry for eight seasons with the Colts, said at his player's Hall of Fame induction. "However, Raymond's pass patterns were so minutely perfected that he was almost unstoppable," he added.
Over his 13 seasons, Berry caught 68 touchdowns, led the NFL in receptions three times, and played in six Pro Bowls. He played on championship teams in 1958 and 1959 and a runner-up in 1964. The Colts retired his uniform number, 82, and SMU retired his number from college, 87. Berry was voted onto the league's 50th anniversary and 75th anniversary teams. After retiring in 1967, Berry was a wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, and head coach of the Patriots from 1984-89. He finished 48-39 with New England, including an 11-5 season in 1985 and a trip to Super Bowl XX, in which the Patriots were crushed 46-10 by the Chicago Bears. "Raymond Berry holds a special place in Patriots history," owner Robert Kraft said. "He led our franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance."
Berry was at his peak on a signature day in NFL history: the 1958 finale against the Giants at Yankee Stadium, which many call "the Greatest Game Ever Played." It was nationally televised and often cited as the starting point for the league's rise. Playing against the NFL's toughest defense, Berry caught 12 passes for 178 yards and a 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 gave the Colts a 23-17 win. The league's first championship to finish in overtime helped make 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 told the radio program Sports & Torts. "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."
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