|
NFL legend Raymond Berry at R-MC
Nov. 16, 2011
Click on Berry to view a photo slideshow
of Raymond Berry's visit. |
On Wednesday, November 16, 2011, Randolph-Macon College hosted Pro Football Hall of Famer Raymond Berry. Close to 900 people, including many R-MC athletes and coaches , filled Crenshaw Gymnasium to hear Berry’s talk, Preparing for Life: Ethics for the Greatest Game Ever! His visit was sponsored by the BB&T Moral Foundations of Capitalism Program.
Berry told the audience that success comes with hard work and preparation. He added that we all have different paths to success because “God gives different gifts to different people.” Berry also encouraged everyone to remember the value of little things and how they add up to a positive outcome. He said, “In the right circumstances, little things become very big.” Berry spent much of the day Wednesday, meeting with students. He also gave a well-attended daytime lecture at Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church. After his evening lecture in Crenshaw, he signed autographs and took pictures with fans.
Berry was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 1954 NFL draft. He played 13-years as a wide receiver, leading the league three times in receptions and catching a then-record 631 passes for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns. Berry was widely known for his attention to detail and preparation. He only fumbled once in 13 years and was selected to play in six Pro Bowl games.
Greatest Game Ever Played
Berry was a member of the Johnny Unitas-led 1958 Baltimore Colts team that won the NFL Championship, known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played." He set a then-record with 12 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown. During what was called the Colts' life-or-death, last minute drive, Berry caught three consecutive passes for 62 yards to set up the Colts tying field goal at the end of regulation. The historic game, against the New York Giants, marked the first time that a NFL playoff game went into overtime. Berry helped lead the Colts to victory with two receptions for 33 yards. Historians note that this game changed the popularity of the NFL and propelled it to become the favorite sport to watch in the United States.
NFL Coaching Career Berry ended his playing career in 1967 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973. He returned to the NFL as a receivers’ coach for the New England Patriots from 1978-1981 and was rehired in 1984 as head coach of the struggling team. The next season, the Patriots recorded an 11-5 record and made the playoffs as a wildcard team. They went on to become the first team in NFL history ever to advance to the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road. Unfortunately, they were defeated in the 1985 Super Bowl game by the Chicago Bears. In 1986, the Patriots made it to the playoffs again, but were defeated in the first round. Berry was released as head coach of the Patriots in 1989. His overall coaching record is 48 wins and 39 losses, and 3-2 in the playoffs.
BB&T Moral Foundations of Capitalism Program
Randolph-Macon College received a $500,000 grant from the BB&T Charitable Foundation to expand the study of ethics, economics and capitalism through a broadened curriculum, faculty and student research, internships and one-on-one interaction with business leaders.
For more information about the BB&T Moral Foundations of Capitalism Program, please contact Pam Harris Cox at (804) 752-3712,
pamelacox@rmc.edu or Anne Marie Lauranzon at (804) 752-7317,
alauranz@rmc.edu.