The Eagles are saddened by the passing of Bill Bergey, one of the franchise’s greatest linebackers and a member of the Eagles Hall of Fame. He fought bravely and courageously against cancer for three years. He died peacefully on Christmas morning at the age of 79, surrounded by his loving family.

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Bergey. “An all-time Eagles star, Bill was a legendary linebacker who earned the respect of players and coaches across the league for his work ethic and hard-nosed play,” said Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie. “He was rightfully inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 1988. Bill embodied everything it meant to be an Eagle and proudly represented the team in the community even after his playing days were over. We will all miss him very much.” We extend our deepest condolences to the entire Bergey family.

Bergey is survived by his wife of 55 years, Micky, three sons – Jason, Jake and Josh, ten grandchildren whom he loved and cherished every day, and two siblings – his brother Bruce and his sister Sylvia. He was a man who loved his family to the end. We will miss his bear hugs.

The Bergey family appreciates all the prayers and well-wishes from Bill’s friends, family and teammates. The family added: “Your support keeps us all strong.”

Very few players in a team’s history can be viewed as a catalyst for change. Bergey was one of those valuable handful who helped solidify the city of Philadelphia’s fervent passion for the defensive side of the game.

“I’ve always had a love affair with the Philadelphia fans,” Bergey said in an interview in 2023. “I’ve always been kind and gracious to them as I climbed the ladder of success, because you won’t believe it, but I have the same ones Met people coming back from that ladder.”

“Personally, I think the thing that makes me most proud is knowing that I left it all on the field. I played as hard as I could the whole time. I wasn’t one of those players who made playoffs or anything like that.” . I got a lot of pats on the back and a lot of awards and all that, but just knowing that I gave it my all in every game I had, that’s pretty rewarding.