NFL To Honor Baltimore Colts Raymond Berry At Super Bowl

by Bruce Raffel on Dec 30, 2011 4:00 PM EST

The NFL will salute former Baltimore Colts wide receiver and New England Patriots head coach RAYMOND BERRY during Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2011, it was announced today.

Berry, who played his entire 13-year career with the Colts and won two NFL Championships with the team, will participate in the Vince Lombardi Trophy ceremony at the conclusion of Super Bowl XLVI. Berry will carry the trophy to the stage and deliver it to Commissioner ROGER GOODELL who will present it to the Super Bowl champion. The ceremony will be televised live by NBC at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Watched by more than 162 million viewers in the U.S. last year, the Super Bowl is annually the nation’s highest-rated TV program.

Berry, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973, joins ROGER STAUBACH, LEN DAWSON, JOE NAMATH, DOUG WILLIAMS, DON SHULA andBART STARR as legends saluted in previous Lombardi Trophy ceremonies. The ceremony was expanded in 2006 to include a great from a prior Super Bowl and features the "Lombardi Theme," special music scored by NFL Films.

A 20th-round draft choice out of Southern Methodist in 1954, Berry’s relentless work ethic morphed him from a player fighting for a roster spot into a record-setting receiver. His 631 career receptions, 9,275 receiving yards and 68 touchdowns caught were at the time the most in NFL history. His signature performance came in the 1958 NFL Championship Game, widely deemed "The Greatest Game Ever Played." Berry tallied 178 yards and a touchdown on an NFL-record 12 receptions as the Colts overcame the New York Giants, 23-17, in overtime. Berry and the Colts also won the NFL Championship in 1959 and then went on to appear again in the championship game in 1964.

Berry retired from the NFL in 1967 and ventured into coaching. After holding assistant positions with both the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots, he was hired as the Patriots’ head coach in 1984. He led New England to its first Super Bowl berth in the 1985 season. He would go on to serve in assistant roles with the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos in the early 1990s. He currently lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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A true Baltimore Colts legend

What a great honor for one of the greatest ever. Congratulations!

by Smiley4660 on Dec 31, 2011 10:32 AM EST reply actions

No offense to Raymond Berry but he did not play for Indy !!!

What a slap in the face to Indy and Baltimore

“As per tradition, following each year’s Super Bowl, a legendary player from the host city’s franchise presents the Lombardi Trophy to the victorious team”.

So Indy doesn’t have any legendary players from the past 27 years ?? Heck Marshall Faulk could do it !!

Veni, Vidi, Vici - Julius Caesar 47 BC

by PSU RAVEN on Jan 2, 2012 8:49 AM EST reply actions

What tradition?

PSU Raven stated, ""As per tradition, following each year’s Super Bowl, a legendary player from the host city’s franchise presents the Lombardi Trophy to the victorious team".

That is not at all true.

The tradition of having a legendary player from the past present the Lombardi trophy started in 2006 with Bart Starr presenting the trophy in Detroit. It had nothing to do with the host city, but the 40th anniversary of the first Super Bowl where Starr was the MVP.

The second presenter was Don Shula, yes the Super Bowl was in Miami, I guess they couldn’t have Starr come back again as MVP of Super Bowl II.

The next presenter was Doug Williams, the only non-Hall of Famer to make the presentation on the 20th annivesary of when he was the MVP. The Super Bowl was in Arizona – no connection to Williams.

And so on … see the list below of Lombardi Trophy presenters.

Why Berry? Maybe it is time to recognize a reciever when all the other presenters were QBs or coaches (Yes Berry was also a coach, but he is best known as a Hall of Fame receiver).

I think people are over analyzing the Colts – Indy – Baltimore – connection. Berry deserves to be honored, and I will be happy to see him presenting the trophy to Steve Bisciotti on February 5th.

Bart Starr SB 40 2006 Detroit 40th An. Super Bowl MVP
Don Shula SB 41 2007 Miami Miami Coach
Doug Williams SB 42 2008 Arizona 20th An. Super Bowl MVP
Joe Namath SB 43 2009 Tampa 40th An Super Bowl MVP
Len Dawson SB 44 2010 Miami 40th An. Super Bowl MVP
Roger Staubach SB 45 2011 Dallas Dallas QB – Not Chuck Knoll
Raymond Berry SB 46 2012 Indianapolis ???

by Fred Raven on Jan 2, 2012 6:16 PM EST reply actions

The tradition quote I pulled from the Indy Star newspaper- and I don't agree with it

Veni, Vidi, Vici - Julius Caesar 47 BC

by PSU RAVEN on Jan 2, 2012 8:40 PM EST up reply actions

Here is the link.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20111229/SPORTS0701/111229028/Former-Baltimore-Colt-Raymond-Berry-present-Super-Bowl-XLVI-trophy

Veni, Vidi, Vici - Julius Caesar 47 BC

by PSU RAVEN on Jan 2, 2012 8:44 PM EST reply actions

Don't Believe Everthing you Read in the Newspaper

Especially the Indy Star.

I know something was wrong with the quote, since the list of previous presenters included members of the Jets, Chiefs, Redskins and Packers and the Super Bowl has never been played in New York, Kansas City, Washington or Green Bay.

As far as I’m concerned Berry’s honor has nothing to do with the Super Bowl taking place in Indy. If they want to make a stink about it, just shows that they want to deflect attention from their team that stinks without Manning.

by Fred Raven on Jan 3, 2012 9:28 AM EST reply actions