Pro Football Hall of Famer Raymond Berry, whose reliable hands were often found on the receiving end of passes from Johnny Unitas with the Baltimore Colts, has died at the age of 93.
Berry's family, in a statement released through the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Monday, said Berry died peacefully at home on May 25 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, while surrounded by family.
Berry played in the NFL for 13 seasons, all with the Colts, and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection who led the league three times in catches and yards and twice in touchdowns. He was a member of the NFL 100 all-time team, and his No. 82 was retired by the Colts. He also is a member of the Baltimore Ravens' Ring of Honor.
"Simply put, not only was Raymond Berry one [of] the greatest players in the history of the Colts, but he was one of the most influential and foundational players of the modern NFL," Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in a statement.
The Ravens, meanwhile, called Berry "a football icon" and added that "his impact on Baltimore sports and the NFL will endure forever," in their statement.
statement from Carlie Irsay-Gordon on the passing of colts legend Raymond Berry: pic.twitter.com/GtT4LOrpkH
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) June 1, 2026
Statement from the Baltimore Ravens: pic.twitter.com/GHkvSt5EyS
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 1, 2026
After his playing career, following 14 seasons as an assistant coach at both the NFL and college level, Berry was named head coach of the New England Patriots in 1984. One season later, he guided the wild-card Patriots to Super Bowl XX, where they lost to the Chicago Bears.
"Raymond Berry holds a special place in Patriots history," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. "He led our franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance following a remarkable playoff run, a milestone that was the greatest achievement in team history at the time. I was fortunate to get to know Raymond over the years, and one of my fondest memories was spending time with him and his son, Mark, during a trip to Israel in 2015 with several fellow Pro Football Hall of Famers. He was every bit the gentleman people knew him to be; humble, faithful, kind and deeply respected by all who knew him."
As a player, the split end might mostly be remembered for his performance in "The Greatest Game Ever Played" -- the 1958 NFL Championship Game, which is widely used as the mark for the rise of the NFL's popularity. Berry caught 12 passes -- a championship game record that stood until 2014 -- for 178 yards and a touchdown as the Colts beat the New York Giants 23-17 in the first sudden-death game in NFL history.
He won his second NFL championship the following season with the Colts. During that season, he led the NFL in receptions (66), receiving yards (959) and receiving TDs (14) -- one of just six players to lead those categories in a single season outright.
In a less passing-friendly era, Berry formed a lethal connection with Unitas. Playing a 12-game schedule, Berry caught 74 passes for 1,298 yards in 1960. Only three other NFL players topped 50 receptions that season.
Selected as a future choice by the Colts in the 20th round of the 1954 draft after catching only 33 passes in three seasons at SMU, Berry finished his NFL career in 1967 with a then-record 631 receptions for 9,275 yards, 68 touchdowns and -- a testament to his sure-handedness -- only one fumble.
"Luck is something which happens when preparation meets opportunity," Berry once said. "One play may make the difference in winning or losing a game. I must be prepared to make my own luck."
Berry left football in 1981 after being fired by the Patriots as an assistant. Three seasons later, however, New England, after firing Ron Meyer midseason, hired Berry as the head coach. He stayed in that role until he was fired after the 1989 season, compiling an overall record of 48-39 and winning one AFC title.
"It was a great six years for me," Berry told ESPN in 2008. "I had some really great players, and you really enjoy coaching talent like that. And I still have New England fans to this day come up and talk about how much they enjoyed those years. Nice to have satisfied customers."