The Eagles are saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Bergey, one of the franchise's greatest linebackers and a member of the Eagles Hall of Fame. He fought valiantly and bravely against cancer for three years. He died peacefully on Christmas morning at the age of 79, surrounded by his loving family.
"We are saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Bergey. An Eagles all-time great, Bill was a legendary linebacker who gained the respect of players and coaches across the league for his blue-collar work ethic and hard-nosed play," said Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie. "He was rightfully inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 1988. Bill exemplified what it meant to be an Eagle in every way, and proudly represented the team in the community well after his playing days were over. We will all miss him dearly and extend our deepest condolences to the entire Bergey family."
Bergey is survived by his wife of 55 years, Micky, three sons – Jason, Jake, and Josh, 10 grandkids whom he loved and cherished every day, and two siblings – his brother, Bruce, and sister, Sylvia. He was a man who loved his family to the end. His bear hugs will be missed.
The Bergey family appreciates all of the prayers and well-wishes sent by Bill's friends, family, and teammates. The family added, "Your support keeps us all strong."
Very few players in the history of any team can be considered a catalyst for transformation. Bergey was one of those precious handful who helped solidify the City of Philadelphia's zealous passion for the defensive side of the football.
"I've always had a love affair with the fans of Philadelphia," Bergey said in a 2023 interview. "I have always been kind and courteous to them all the way up that ladder of success that I had because, you won't believe it, but I've met the same people coming back down off that ladder.
"Personally, I think the thing that makes me the proudest is I know that I left everything on the field. I played as hard as I could all the time. I wasn't one of those players that takes plays off or anything like that. I've had an awful lot of pats on the back and a lot of awards and all of that, but just knowing that I gave everything I had every play that I had, that's pretty rewarding."
Bergey arrived in Philadelphia in 1974. After leaving the Cincinnati Bengals for the upstart World Football League, the new operation folded before Bergey ever played a snap. He returned to the NFL, but not before the Bengals received compensation that would be appropriate for a premier quarterback in this day and age – two first-round picks and a second-round selection.
Here's the thing, Bergey was more than worth it.
In seven years with the Eagles, Bergey was a five-time All-Pro, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, a three-time Eagles MVP, and the runner-up for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1974. He dished out nearly 1,200 tackles in his Philadelphia tenure.
And these were just not any ordinary tackles. He gleefully punished ball carriers and would-be pass catchers by driving them into the concrete turf of Veterans Stadium. If you were going to drive the ball on this defense, Bergey made you pay the toll.
Here's the thing. Bergey wasn't just a stat stuffer.
He was a winner.
Before his arrival, the last Eagles playoff game was the 1960 NFL Championship victory over Vince Lombardi's Packers.
Teamed with the addition of quarterback Ron Jaworski and the hire of Dick Vermeil as head coach, the Eagles made the playoffs in each of Bergey's final three seasons, ultimately winning the NFC Championship in 1980 against the Dallas Cowboys.
"Our No. 1 goal was to overcome the Dallas Cowboys," said Bergey, who also served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve during his playing days. "And the thing that was so unbelievable is when I was walking down that tunnel onto the field, there was never a game that I played that I knew we were going to win as much as this game here. There was absolutely no doubt in anybody's mind – even though the score was 20-7 – it was not indicative of the way the game went. We destroyed the Dallas Cowboys that day.
"Afterward, we got into the locker room and we were all hooping and hollering and going crazy. We had overtaken the Dallas Cowboys!"
The 1980 season was Bergey's final year in the NFL. He remained a fixture in the Philadelphia region, raising his family and establishing himself in the hospitality industry with several hotels and restaurants. 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.
Another example of the indelible mark Bergey left on the franchise was when his No. 66 jersey was featured by Robert DeNiro's character Pat Solitano Sr. in the 2012 blockbuster hit movie Silver Linings Playbook.
The family will announce funeral arrangements at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bergey's name to the American Cancer Society or the Wounded Warrior Project.
