Bill Bergey, a five-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played in a Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles, died Wednesday, the team announced. He was 79.
His son, Jake, posted on social media that Bergey died of cancer. Bergey, a three-time Eagles team MVP according to a vote by his teammates, had been open about his battle with the disease in recent years.
Bergey, who was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2009, said he has been battling a form of jaw cancer as of 2021.
“I didn’t give it the old, ‘Why me?’ or something like that,” he said in 2003. “I just thought I had to fight it, just like I would fight anything else I had to fight.”
Bergey was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1969 and made one Pro Bowl appearance for them before being traded prior to the 1974 season. Bergey’s career began in Philadelphia and he became one of the most popular Eagles players of his era. He made the Pro Bowl in 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1978 and was named All-Pro for the 1974 and 1975 seasons.
“I’ve always had a love affair with the fans of Philadelphia,” Bergey said in 2023. “I’ve always been kind and courteous to them, all the way up the ladder of success that I had, because you won’t believe it. , but I met the same people who came back down that ladder.
Team owner Jeffrey Lurie said Bergey “has gained the respect of players and coaches around the league for his work ethic and hard play.”
“Bill exemplified in every way what it meant to be an Eagle, proudly representing the team in the community long after his playing days were over,” Lurie said in a statement.
Bergey, who had 27 career interceptions, highlighted by five in 1974, was one of 60 nominees the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s senior committee considered this fall. He failed to advance to the next round.
His final season was 1980 under coach Dick Vermeil when the Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders. Bergey, who played college ball at Arkansas State, played in all 16 games but retired due to a lingering knee injury.
“I always felt like we were going in the right direction,” Bergey said in 2015. “Even in the early years (under Vermeil), when wins were scarce, we could see the intensity of the game increasing. . Dick’s personality appealed to us.”
Bergey served in various roles on Eagles radio broadcasts after his retirement.
“Number 66 was one of the greatest players of all time,” former Eagles announcer Merrill Reese wrote on social media. “No one has ever loved their family, friends and Eagles fans more. May Bubba rest in peace.”
Bergey, who recorded nearly 1,200 tackles in seven seasons with the Eagles, was born on February 9, 1945, in South Dayton, New York.
Bergey was a plaintiff in the concussion-related lawsuit against the NFL.