The NFL world is in mourning this week over the loss of a former Pro Bowl quarterback who died this week.
Bob Berry passed away on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Minnesota Vikings. He was 81 years old.
“Bob was just a great person and one of my closest friends as teammates,” former Vikings teammate Dave Osborn said. “We came in together in 1965, and only a few of us made the team that year.
“He was a great fit for our team at that time,” Osborn added. “None of us were heroes; we prided ourselves on being smart players who didn’t make mistakes and played tough. That was Bob, for sure. We roomed together at camp and for years after that. He was as close a friend as I had on the team. I’m sorry to hear he’s gone. He will be missed.”
Berry played college football at the University of Oregon, where he was a standout quarterback. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 11th round of the 1964 NFL Draft, but he initially chose to sign with the Denver Broncos of the American Football League (AFL) instead. They drafted him in the 26th round of the AFL draft that same year. He made his first pro roster in 1965 with the Vikings.
Berry served as Fran Tarkenton’s backup from 1965-66 and again from 1973-76. After backing up Joe Kapp in 1967, Berry went to Atlanta and started seven of 10 games in the third Falcons season.
In his 11-year career, Berry appeared in 78 games with 52 starts, and he passed for 9,197 yards with 64 touchdowns and 64 interceptions. He ran for 409 yards and four touchdowns.
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After his playing career, Berry became a coach, working as an assistant coach for several NFL teams, including the San Francisco 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Atlanta Falcons. He also served as the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1991 to 1992.
