Age: 24
3rd
season in pro football & with Colts
College: Southern
Methodist
Height: 6’2” Weight: 190
Prelude:
Berry didn’t
have much opportunity to show off his pass receiving skills in college,
catching just 33 passes and scoring one touchdown, but he was chosen as a
future pick by the Colts in the 20th round of the 1954 NFL draft. He
joined the team in ’55 and caught 13 passes as a rookie and, with the arrival
of QB Johnny Unitas, improved to 37 receptions for 601 yards (16.2 avg.) in 1956.
What he lacked in speed and heft he made up for with reliable hands and an
excellent work ethic.
1957 Season Summary
Appeared in all
12 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 47
[2]
Most
receptions, game – 12 (for 224 yds.) at Washington
Yards – 800 [1]
Most yards,
game – 224 (on 12 catches) at Washington
Average gain
– 17.0 [17]
TDs – 6 [3,
tied with Ray Renfro, Elroy Hirsch & Billy Wilson]
200-yard
receiving games – 1
100-yard
receiving games – 2
Scoring
TDs – 6 [9,
tied with ten others]
Points – 36 [19,
tied with ten others]
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: Sporting News
2nd
team All-NFL: AP
Colts went 7-5
to finish third in the NFL Western Conference while leading the league in
passing yards (2388) and touchdowns (41).
Aftermath:
Berry
followed up by leading the NFL in pass receiving in each of the next three
seasons, in pass receiving touchdowns in 1958 and ’59, and pass receiving yards
in 1959 and ’60, despite being hindered by a leg injury in the latter year. He
was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection after all three years and also had
an outstanding performance in the 1958 NFL Championship overtime win over the
Giants (12 catches, 178 yards, 1 TD). While he didn’t lead the league and
missed two games due to injury in 1961, the steady Berry had a career-high 75
catches and was chosen to a fourth straight Pro Bowl. He went on to play a
total of 13 seasons, all with the Colts, and retired as the career pass
receiving leader at the time with 631, for 9275 yards (14.7 avg.) and 68 TDs.
Berry was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection three times, received some
first- or second-team honors after two other seasons, and was named to the Pro
Bowl six times. He was selected to the 50th and 75th-year
all-time NFL teams. The Colts retired his #82 and Berry was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1973. Berry went on to a coaching career
and was head coach of the New England Patriots when they won the AFC
Championship in 1985.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
