Former NFL linebacker Bill Bergey has died, his son announced on Christmas Day. He was 79.

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 “thoroughly great human being.”

The South Dayton, New York native’s professional football career began in the late 1960s when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Bill Bergey of the Philadelphia Eagles stretches while warming up for the Redskins game at RFK Stadium on September 10, 1978 in Washington, DC (Focus on Sports/Getty Images)

“After a long, hard three-year battle, Dad lost his battle with cancer. The best father, friend, grandfather, football player and simply the greatest person in this world. I’ll really miss him. I love you dad,” Jake wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Bergey recorded nearly 1,200 tackles during his outstanding tenure with the Eagles. He won Pro Bowl honors four times during his time in Philly. Bergey received the first Pro Bowl nomination of his career in 1969 while playing 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 sideline during a preseason game against the Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on September 2, 1977 in Pittsburgh. (George Gojkovich/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 over Oakland Raiders tight end Raymond Chester in Super Bowl XV at the Superdome in New Orleans on January 25, 1981. (Manny Rubio-USA Today Sports)

“He was kind of an inspiration to me,” Bergey told the Eagles’ official team website last year. “He keeps me informed. ‘Remember,’ he always said, ‘You’re a football player, you’re tough and you can beat this. You can handle it.’”

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Bergey played college football at Arkansas State. After retiring from the NFL, Bergey contributed to the Eagles’ pre- and post-game coverage for several years.

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