Legendary Eagles linebacker Bill Bergey has died after a long battle with cancer, his son announced on social media.

He was 79.

Jake Bergey, a former professional lacrosse player, posted the news Wednesday morning on X, the former Twitter:

“After a long, hard battle of three years, 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.”

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, daddy. pic.twitter.com/RTLln3UA8o

— Jake Bergey (@Bergey66) December 25, 2024

In an interview last year with the Eagles’ website, Bergey talked about how Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelley, a contemporary of Bergey’s, became a trusted confidant after he was diagnosed with jaw cancer in 2021.

“He was kind of an inspiration to me,” Bergey said. “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.’

“He didn’t hold me in the Knute-Rockne-Rah-Rah style. He just said, ‘Bill, one. Are you eating?’ And I said, “No, I don’t eat much at all.” And he was so blunt, “Either you eat or you die.” And I said, “Okay, I guess I’ll start eating then.”

“He tells his five brothers that one day he didn’t want to leave his room, and the five brothers said, ‘Well, you’re coming out of here whether you want to or not.’ And the five brothers just led him down the hall and took him for a nice long walk. And he appreciated that.

“And I’ll tell you one thing: My children have pushed themselves harder than I’ve ever seen anyone push themselves so hard. My three boys drove me everywhere and gave my wife (Micky Kay) a break. “I don’t know if I could have done it without her.”

Bergey was originally a second-round pick of the Bengals out of Arkansas State in 1969. After five years and a Pro Bowl in Cincinnati, he was traded to the Eagles in 1974 and immediately made a difference.

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

His final season was 1980 and his final game was Super Bowl XV against the Raiders in New Orleans.

Bergey and Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik are the only Eagles linebackers to make the 1st-team All-Pro list in consecutive years. Bednarik and Maxie Baughan, a Hall of Fame finalist this year, are the only linebackers in Eagles history to make more Pro Bowls than Bergey.

Bergey was one of 60 nominees the Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior Committee considered this fall but did not advance to the next round.

Even today, nearly half a century after his retirement, Bergey’s 27 interceptions are the 10th most in NFL history by a linebacker, and five of the nine interceptions that preceded him are enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Canton. Eighteen of those came as an Eagle, tying him with Bednarik and William Thomas for the most in franchise history.

Although sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982, research on sacks prior to 1982 shows that Bergey had 18 ½ sacks in his career, 14 of them with the Eagles. He also had 21 fumble recoveries – including an NFL-high six in 1975.

Bergey was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2009.

After his retirement, Bergey served as color on the Eagles’ radio broadcasts and spent several years on the Eagles’ pregame and postgame shows. Bergey lived in Chadds Ford in Delaware County after his football career ended.

He was diagnosed with oral cancer in 2021 but continued to attend the Eagles’ training camp every summer.

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