47 Facts About Raymond Berry

Raymond Berry played as a split end for the Baltimore Colts from 1955 to 1967, and after several assistant coaching positions, was head coach of the New England Patriots from 1984 to 1989.

Raymond Berry retired as the all-time NFL leader in both receptions and receiving yardage.

Raymond Berry made up for his lack of athleticism through rigorous practice and attention to detail, and was known for his near-perfect route running and sure-handedness.

Raymond Berry was a favorite target of quarterback Johnny Unitas, and the two were regarded as the dominant passing and receiving duo of their era.

Raymond Berry became the Patriots' head coach in 1984 and held that position through 1989, amassing 48 wins and 39 losses.

In recognition of his playing career, Raymond Berry was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Raymond Berry is a member of the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team as one of the best players of the NFL's first 75 years and a unanimous selection to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team as one of the best players of the NFL's first 100 years.

Raymond Berry's number 82 jersey is retired by the Indianapolis Colts and he is a member of the Patriots' 1980s All-Decade Team.

At Paris High School and in college, Raymond Berry caught very few passes.

Raymond Berry did not start on his high school team until he was a senior, even though his father, Berry Sr.

In three seasons for the SMU Mustangs football team, Raymond Berry received only 33 passes total.

Raymond Berry played outside linebacker and defensive end for the Mustangs, despite weighing only 180 pounds even by his senior year.

Raymond Berry was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the 20th round as the 203rd overall pick of the 1954 NFL Draft.

Raymond Berry, who did not miss a single game until his eighth year in the league, led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards three times and in receiving touchdowns twice.

In 1957, Raymond Berry caught 47 passes for 800 yards and six touchdowns, leading the NFL in receiving yards for the first time.

Raymond Berry was recognized as a first-team All-Pro by The Sporting News and earned second-team honors from the Associated Press.

Raymond Berry had two key receptions for 33 yards during the Colts' final game-winning drive in overtime.

Raymond Berry led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 1959, becoming the fourth player to record a "triple crown" in receiving.

Raymond Berry's 14 receiving touchdowns set a Colts single-season franchise record that stood unmatched for over four decades.

Raymond Berry was invited to his second straight Pro Bowl, and earned first-team All-Pro honors from the AP, UPI, the Newspaper Enterprise Association, and the New York Daily News.

In that game, Raymond Berry caught five passes for 68 yards, second on the team behind halfback Lenny Moore's 126 yards on three receptions.

In 1960, Raymond Berry recorded his only 1,000-yard season, catching 74 passes en route to career highs in receiving yards and receiving yards per game.

Raymond Berry had a mid-season string of six straight games with over 100 yards, during which he caught 50 passes for 920 yards and eight touchdowns.

Raymond Berry again was a Pro Bowl invitee, and earned first-team All-Pro honors from all the same selectors as the previous year, including unanimous All-Pro recognition by UPI sportswriters.

Raymond Berry scored the first touchdown of the 1962 Pro Bowl on a 16-yard reception from Unitas in the first quarter.

Raymond Berry announced his retirement shortly after the season's end.

Raymond Berry completed his professional playing career having caught 631 passes for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns.

In 1970, after two seasons, Raymond Berry took a job with Frank Broyles at the University of Arkansas as receivers coach.

In 1973 Raymond Berry joined Don McCafferty with the Detroit Lions as his receivers coach.

In 1976, Raymond Berry joined former SMU teammate Forrest Gregg as his receivers coach with the Cleveland Browns.

Raymond Berry joined the New England Patriots as receivers coach under Chuck Fairbanks in 1978.

Raymond Berry left football and worked in real estate in Medfield, Massachusetts, until the Patriots fired Ron Meyer in the middle of the 1984 season and hired Raymond Berry to replace him.

However, Raymond Berry benched Flutie in the season finale against the Denver Broncos until the final seconds.

New Patriots majority owner Victor Kiam demanded Raymond Berry relinquish control over personnel and reorganize his staff; Raymond Berry refused and was fired.

Raymond Berry overcame several physical ailments during his football career, a fact he became famous for, but one that according to Raymond Berry was often exaggerated by the media.

Raymond Berry was skinny and injury-prone, such that when his college teammates saw him for the first time they sarcastically dubbed him, "Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy".

Reportedly, because one leg was shorter than the other, Raymond Berry had to wear padding inside his shoe in order to walk properly.

That he required specialized shoes was a myth, which Raymond Berry says was perpetuated by an overzealous information director with the Colts when Raymond Berry tried to compensate for his condition by putting something in his shoe during training camp.

Raymond Berry was famous for his attention to detail and preparation, which he used to overcome his physical limitations.

The reason for this, according to Raymond Berry, was that the two did not think on the same wavelength.

In 1973, Raymond Berry was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Raymond Berry is a member of the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, compiled in 1994 by the Hall of Fame selection committee and media to honor the NFL's best players of the league's first 75 years, and the 1950s All-Decade Team.

Raymond Berry's number 82 jersey is retired by the Colts, he is a member of the Patriots' 1980s All-Decade Team as a coach, and he is enshrined in the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor.

Raymond Berry is a professed born again Christian and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Raymond Berry considers his faith to be a "huge part" of his life.

On February 5,2012, at Super Bowl XLVI, Raymond Berry carried the Vince Lombardi Trophy to midfield to present it to the New York Giants, who had just defeated the New England Patriots.

Raymond Berry was given the honor due to the game being played at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home stadium of his former team, the Colts, who had moved to Indianapolis in 1984.