Legendary Colts WR Raymond Berry Dies at 93

The Indianapolis Colts and the rest of the NFL family have lost a true icon. Legendary wide receiver-turned-coach Raymond Berry has died at 93.

According to a statement released through the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Berry's family revealed that he passed peacefully in the comfort of his own home on May 25 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

"It is with very heavy hearts that we extend our condolences to the family of Colts legend Raymond Berry, who passed away last week. 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," Colts CEO/Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in a statement.

"More than anything, Raymond was devoted to his faith and his family. We're grateful his family was able to be with him at the end, and we hope they know Colts fans and all fans of the NFL share their sadness today."

A former two-time NFL Champion (1958, 1959), the Hall of Famer spent all 13 of his NFL seasons as a player with the Baltimore Colts, where he earned six Pro Bowl nods. Berry totaled 631 receptions for 9,275 receiving yards and 68 receiving touchdowns during his career, leading the league in receptions and yards three times and in touchdowns twice.

Berry is top 5 all-time for each of the major receiving categories in franchise history: receptions (T-4th), receiving yards (4th), and receiving touchdowns (third). This is even more impressive when you consider he was doing this in a time in the NFL when teams were not passing the ball nearly as much as they do nowadays.

Once it was all said and done, Berry was named to the NFL 100 all-time team, had his No. 82 retired by the Indianapolis Colts, and is a member of the Baltimore Ravens' Ring of Honor.

Most notably, Raymond Berry became most famous for his efforts in 'The Greatest NFL Game Ever Played.' In the 1958 NFL Championship, a lively matchup that is often regarded as the tipping point for NFL popularity, Berry hauled in 12 catches for 178 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 23-17. The theatrics and memorability of said matchup were multiplied when you consider this game was the first sudden-death game in league history.

Berry and the Colts would repeat as league champions in the year following, when the legendary wide receiver led the league in all major categories: receptions (66), receiving yards (959), and touchdowns (14).

"Simply put, not only was Raymond Berry one the greatest players in the history of the Colts, but he was one of the most influential and foundational players of the modern NFL," Irsay-Gordon said in her statement.

He couldn't walk away forever after retiring in 1968, so Berry decided to stick around the game and become a coach for the next 21 years. He spent the first 14 years as an assistant at the college and NFL ranks before becoming the New England Patriots' interim head coach in 1984, a role he'd keep for the next half-decade.

Berry finished his coaching career after two years as the Detroit Lions' (1991) and Denver Broncos' (1992) quarterbacks coach. He compiled a 48-39 coaching record and won an AFC title.

“People said Raymond Berry was not blessed with the size or speed of other receivers in the National Football League, but no one worked harder to refine his skills and master his craft...On top of that, there was no finer gentleman – a person who remained humble and grounded when others sought to thrust stardom upon him,” said Jim Porter, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's president and CEO.