Bill Bergey Dies at 79; Former Eagles LB Made 5 NFL Pro Bowls

Former Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Bill Bergey died Wednesday at the age of 79.

His son, Jake, announced his death:

"We are saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Bergey," Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement released by the team. "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.

"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 was originally a second-round pick of the Bengals in 1969. He made the first of his five Pro Bowls as a rookie and spent five seasons in Cincinnati.

His seven years in Philadelphia are what most fans remember. He was an All-Pro with the Eagles in 1974 and 1975, and he was runner-up to Pittsburgh Steelers legend Joe Greene for Defensive Player of the Year in 1974.

Beyond his individual accolades, Bergey played an instrumental role in reshaping the perception around the franchise.

After winning the 1960 NFL championship, Philly went 17 years without appearing in a playoff game. The streak ended in 1978 and by 1980 the Eagles captured their first NFC title. They lost 27-10 to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV.

Bergey retired on the heels of their Super Bowl appearance.

The NFL didn't start tracking detailed tackling statistics until 1994, so it's impossible to fully quantify Bergey's impact on the field. But the Eagles estimated he had almost 1,200 tackles with the team, which would average out to around 171 per season.