Raymond Berry, Hall of Fame Colts Receiver and Patriots Coach, Dies at 93

Raymond Berry died at age 93 on May 25 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Berry's family said he died peacefully at home while surrounded by family. The Pro Football Hall of Fame released the family's statement on Monday.

Berry played all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Baltimore Colts. He earned six Pro Bowl selections and led the league in receptions three times, receiving yards three times and receiving touchdowns twice. He was named to the NFL 100 all-time team and is a member of the Baltimore Ravens' Ring of Honor.

After his playing career, Berry served 14 seasons as an assistant coach at the NFL and college levels. The New England Patriots named him head coach in 1984. One year later he led the team to Super Bowl XX, where the Patriots lost to the Chicago Bears.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Berry "holds a special place in Patriots history" for guiding the franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance. Kraft recalled spending time with Berry and his son Mark during a 2015 trip to Israel with other Pro Football Hall of Famers. Berry's most remembered performance came in the 1958 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants.

His 12 receptions stood as a championship-game record until 2014. The Colts won a second title the next season. In 1959 Berry led the NFL with 66 receptions, 959 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns.

In 1960 he caught 74 passes for 1,298 yards on a 12-game schedule when only three other players reached 50 receptions. The Colts selected him in the 20th round of the 1954 draft as a future choice after he caught 33 passes in three seasons at SMU.

He recorded only one fumble in his career.