Eagles Lose Legendary Linebacker Bill Bergey To Cancer

The Philadelphia Eagles lost one of their key foundation pieces to their turnaround in the 1970s that led to a Super Bowl.

Jan 25, 1981; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Bill Bergey (66) kneels over Oakland Raiders tight end Raymond Chester (88) in Super Bowl XV at the Superdome. The Raiders defeated the Eagles 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-Imagn Images / Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

The Eagles are mourning the passing of one of their legendary players from the 1970s on Christmas morning when linebacker Bill Bergey lost his three-year battle with cancer. His son Jake Bergey, a former professional lacrosse player as tough and hard-nosed as his father, announced his passing on social media.

“After a long hard 3-year battle, Dad lost his fight with Cancer,” Jake Bergey posted. “The best father, friend, grandfather, football player and out right great person in this world. I will truly miss him. Love you dad.”

Bergey arrived in Philadelphia in 1974 and became a foundation piece for an Eagles franchise mired in muck, one that had just two winning seasons since capturing the NFL Championship in 1960.

To wrest him away from the Cincinnati Bengals, who had drafted him 31st overall out of Arkansas in 1969, the Eagles sent a first-round pick in the 1977 draft and first and second selections in 1978. The Eagles quickly signed him to a five-year contract and plugged them into the middle of their defense.

He made Pro Bowls in four of his first five seasons with the Eagles – 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1978 – and was a first-team All-Pro after the 1974 and 1975 seasons and a second-team All-Pro in 1976, 1977 and 1978. He recorded nearly 1,200 tackles in his time with the Eagles.

Nov 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles former players Ron Jaworski (7) Bill Bergey (66) and Harold Carmichael (17) prior to game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lincoln Financial Field. The Buccaneers won 45-17. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

More importantly, Bergey was one of the key pieces in helping the Eagles make it to their very first Super Bowl in the 1980 season.

Some pieces were already in place when Bergey arrived, like offensive linemen Stan Walters and Guy Morris, defensive back Randy Logan, and receiver Harold Carmichael.

Other pieces were added later, including defensive lineman Carl Hairston, a seventh-round pick in 1977, and running back Wilbert Montgomery, a sixth-round selection in 1977.

One of the two final pieces was the hiring of head coach Dick Vermeil, a young college coach from UCLA. Vermeil helped engineer the final piece to a Super Bowl puzzle when the Eagles acquired Ron Jaworski from the Rams, sending former All-Pro tight end Charle Young to the Rams for Jaworski. Vermeil had a history with Jaworski as the Rams’ quarterbacks coach.

The Eagles went to Super Bowl XV in New Orleans on Jan. 25, 1981, but lost to the Jim Plunkett-led Oakland Raiders. The Eagles had beaten the Raiders during the regular season, 10-7, in a hard-hitting, physical contest and a game featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

To get the Super Bowl, the Eagles had to beat their rival – the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game. Philly came out on top that day, 20-7, but it was a game that maybe led to an emotional letdown in the Super Bowl.

“Well, what happened was I think that we put so much emphasis on our Dallas (NFC Championship) game that we couldn't get back to the same physical, mental, emotional level for the Super Bowl,” Bergey told the Eagles web site in 2015. “That's not a copout or anything. We never talked about going to the Super Bowl.

“Our No. 1 goal was to overcome the Dallas Cowboys. And the thing that was so unbelievable is when I was walking down that tunnel onto the field, there was never a game that I played that I knew we were going to win as much as this game here. There was absolutely no doubt in anybody's mind – even though the score was 20-7 – it was not indicative of the way the game went.

“We destroyed the Dallas Cowboys that day. Afterward, we got into the locker room and we were all hooping and hollering and going crazy. We had overtaken the Dallas Cowboys! And then all of a sudden, it was 'Oh, wait a minute. We have another game to play and they just happen to call it the Super Bowl.’”

That was the last game Bergey would play, electing to retire after 12 seasons. He spent his post-playing career doing color on Eagles radio broadcasts for several years. He remained in the area, settling in Chadds Ford, Delaware County, frequently visiting Eagles training camp each summer even after being diagnosed with oral cancer in 2021.

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