The Philadelphia Eagles lost one of their greatest players of all time when legendary linebacker Bill Bergey died on December 25 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, at 79 years old and after a 3-year battle with cancer.
Bergey’s son, former pro lacrosse player Jake Bergey, announced his father’s death with a post on X.
“After a long hard 3 year battle, Dad lost his fight with Cancer,” Jake Bergey wrote on December 25. “The best father, friend, grand father, football player and out right great person in this world. I will truly miss him. Love you dad.”
Since then, tributes have poured in for Bergey, who played for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and played the final game of his career in a loss to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV.
Bergey was inducted into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 1988.
“RIP my Hall of Fame teammate Bill Bergey,” former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski wrote on X. “Bill was a great player and even better person! My thoughts and prayers go out to the Bergey family! Bubba was special!”
Former NFL All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins, who played for the Eagles from 1996 to 2009, also wrote a tribute to Bergey on his official X account: “RIP Mr Bill Bergey!!”
“Truly saddened to hear of the passing of Eagles great Bill Bergey,” Philadelphia Sports Talk Show host Joe DeCamara wrote on X. “Bill’s heart was 1,000 times bigger than his immense physical frame. A teddy bear of a guy. Caring, loving & full of humanity. A great player who was an even better person. He will forever be missed.”
From Arkansas State’s GOAT to NFL Stardom
Almost 60 years since he finished his college career, Bergey is still considered the greatest player in Arkansas State history, where he was a 3-time All-Southland Conference selection and averaged 19.6 tackles per game as a senior in 1968.
Bergey was a second round pick by the AFL’s Cincinnati Bengals in 1969, where he was the AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and played for the Bengals until 1973, when he signed a contract to begin playing for the World Football League after his contract with the Bengals ran out in 1975.
Bergey was sued by the Bengals for breach of contract and after he won the lawsuit, Bergey was traded to the Eagles for 2 first round picks and a second round pick before the 1974 season. After the trade, the Eagles made Bergey the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history with a 4-year, $1 million contract.
The Eagles defense allowed 176 less points in Bergey’s first year with the team and he played the final 7 seasons of his 12-year career in Philadelphia. Bergey finished his career as a 5-time NFL All-Pro and 5-time Pro Bowler.
Bergey Immortalized in Oscar-Winning Film
Bergey found newfound fame in 2012 with the release of the Academy Award-winning film “Silver Linings Playbook” directed by David O. Russell and starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro. In the film, De Niro’s character is the patriarch of a family of rabid Eagles fans and wears Bergey’s signature No. 66 jersey during games.
De Niro earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the role.
“(Bergey) remained a fixture in the Philadelphia region, raising his family and establishing himself in the hospitality industry with several hotels and restaurants,” Chris McPherson wrote on the Eagles’ official site on December 25. “His voice graced the airwaves as a color commentator on the team’s flagship radio station before providing analysis pregame and postgame both on radio and television for more than 20 years.”
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