Former NFL linebacker Bill Bergey has died, his son announced on Christmas Day. He was 79 years old.
Bergey, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1974 to 1980, had been battling cancer for several years. His son, Jake Bergey, said his father was “a really great person.”
The South Dayton, New York native’s professional football career began in the late 1960s, when he played for the team Cincinnati Bengals.
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Bill Bergey of the Philadelphia Eagles stretches as he warms up for the Redskins game at RFK Stadium on September 10, 1978 in Washington, DC (Focus on sport/Getty Images)
“After a long, hard 3 year battle, Dad lost his battle with cancer. The best father, friend, grandfather, football player and without a doubt the greatest person in this world. I will truly miss him. I love you daddy,” Jake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bergey recorded nearly 1,200 tackles during his remarkable tenure with the Eagles. He won Pro Bowl honors four times during his stay in Philadelphia. Bergey received the first Pro Bowl nod of his career in 1969, while with the Bengals.
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The former linebacker was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 1988. He received another honor in 2011 when he became a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
Bill Bergey of the Philadelphia Eagles on the sidelines during a preseason game against the Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on September 2, 1977 in Pittsburgh. (George Gojkovitch/Getty Images)
In 2023, Bergey shared some details about his relationship with Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly. The former Bills quarterback battled jaw cancer and became one of Bergey’s trusted confidants.
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Bill Bergey kneels in front of Oakland Raiders tight end Raymond Chester during Super Bowl XV at the Superdome in New Orleans, January 25, 1981. (Manny Rubio-USA Today Sports)
“He was kind of my inspiration,” Bergey told the Eagles’ official team website last year. “He keeps me informed. ‘Remember,’ he would say, ‘You’re a football player, you’re tough and you can beat this. You can handle this.'”
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Bergey played college football in the state of Arkansas. After retiring from the NFL, Bergey spent several years contributing to pregame and postgame coverage of the Eagles.
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