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© 2025 COLD WIRE MEDIA. THE COLD WIRE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COLD WIRE MEDIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

The Life And Career Of Bill Bergey

Ben Donahue
By
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The Life And Career Of Bill Bergey
Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport

 

Bill Bergey arrived in Philadelphia at the perfect time.

The linebacker had previously spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, but left the organization to play for the World Football League (WFL) and a bigger contract.

Unfortunately, before he played a down, the league folded, and Bergey was instead traded from Cincy to the Eagles.

In the next seven years, he would be voted to the Pro Bowl four times and was on the field for the Eagles’ first Super Bowl appearance in 1980.

Following Philly’s loss, Bergey retired and entered the business sector, while also working in radio and television for the Eagles.

Sadly, on Christmas Day, 2024, he passed away from cancer at the age of 79.

This is the story of Bill Bergey.

 

Growing Up in New York

William (Bill) Earl Bergey was born on February 9, 1945, in South Dayton, New York.

Bill and his brother Bruce were heavily into sports during their younger years, and that continued when they became students at Pine Valley High School in South Dayton.

Bruce was a year younger than Bill, and both were built for the game of football.

On offense, Bill, who first played organized tackle football as a freshman, played linebacker and fullback.

The Bergey brothers would eventually grow over six feet tall and push past 200 pounds.

Starring for the Panthers, they were a menace to opposing ball carriers, and Bill was a bulldozer with a pigskin tucked under his arm.

After the first three games of his senior year, Bergey had six touchdowns rushing and passed for another.

Then, during the Panthers’ fourth game, he contracted an illness that kept him sidelined for all but the final game of the season.

When the football season ended, Bergey took his usual spot on the Pine Valley basketball team and helped lead the squad to an undefeated conference record and 19-1 overall record.

He was then named a Class B All-Star.

 

Choosing Arkansas State

Pine Valley was a small school, and Bergey graduated in 1964 with just 47 fellow seniors.

Because he only played in five games as a senior, there were no scholarship offers from colleges.

In the winter of his senior year, Bergey asked his guidance counselor to write to the head coaches of 10 college football programs to gauge their interest in him.

Two of the schools responded, Arkansas State and the University of New Mexico.

“Now, I was from western New York, between Buffalo and Jamestown. So, I got my map out and saw where Arkansas State was closer than New Mexico, so I decided to go ahead and pursue Arkansas State,” said Bergey in 2013.

The Arkansas State coaches wanted to meet Bergey in person when they attended a coaches conference in New York City in the spring.

He jumped at the chance and drove over 400 miles to meet them.

“We packed up a couple of scrapbooks that I had put together, and I just pleaded for any kind of scholarship help that they could give to me, because I didn’t have any money at all. They gave me a partial scholarship,” said Bergey.

 

Coming Into His Own

When Bergey arrived in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1964, it was almost as if he were in a different country.

Simply because he was from a northern state, some of his new teammates who hailed from the South picked fights with him regularly.

Despite the unexpected pushback from teammates, Bergey stayed in Arkansas and redshirted his first year as the Indians (now Red Wolves) went 7-0-2.

In 1965, he started at offensive guard and nose guard on defense while Arkansas State went 6-3.

Bergey played both positions again in 1966 and did well enough to get recognized as an All-Southland Conference member.

Then, before his junior year, the coaching staff moved Bergey to linebacker.

“My junior year, they moved me to linebacker. I was standing up and could see everything. Things just started to click for me,” he said.

While Bergey was coming into his own as a talented 6’4”, 230-pound tackling machine, Arkansas State had a losing record in 1967 under head coach Bennie Ellender.

 

Senior Year

As Bergey’s senior year in 1968 unfolded, it was obvious he was playing at a different level.

On September 23 against Eastern Michigan, the linebacker could not be blocked, and he set a school record with 33 tackles in a single game, helping pace the Indians to a 26-7 win.

Arkansas State went 7-2-1 during the regular season while Bergey averaged nearly 20 tackles per game (setting a program record) and set more school records with most fumble recoveries in a season and most career tackles.

He also led the team in tackles for the third season in a row.

The Indians lost to North Dakota State in the Pecan Bowl on December 14, but Bergey brought home a host of awards.

They included first-team Little All-American, Worthern Amateur Athlete of the Year, and All-Southland Conference member for the third year in a row.

After getting invited to play in the annual North-South Shrine Game, Bergey was chosen as the contest’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Furthermore, he played in the Senior Bowl and one of the last College All-Star Games against the reigning world champion New York Jets.

Years later, Bergey was the first athlete to appear on the Arkansas State Wall of Fame, his jersey number 66 was retired, he was honored by fans as the program’s best-ever player, inducted into the ASU Hall of Heroes, and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

While attending ASU, Bergey was a member of ROTC and rose to the rank of second lieutenant.

 

Second-Round Pick

flag with the NFL logo waving

 

In 1946, Paul Brown became the first coach of the All-America Football Conference’s Cleveland Browns.

He was in that position through the 1962 season before getting fired by owner Art Modell.

Then, in 1968, the Cincinnati Bengals were formed as a member of the American Football League (AFL).

Brown was part of the ownership group and was named head coach and general manager.

That season, the Bengals went 3-11, and Brown and his son, Mike, went into the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft needing serious help.

After taking University of Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Greg Cook with the fifth overall pick, the team chose Bergey with the 31st overall pick in the second round of the event, the highest draft choice for a player from Arkansas State.

When he got to training camp for his rookie year, Bergey took a look at the competition and believed he could stick around.

“I was about two weeks late getting to the Bengals, and I looked at the two linebackers they had, and I said, ‘If you don’t beat out one of those guys, you don’t belong in the game of pro football,” said Bergey.

Sure enough, the rookie exited camp as a starter and collected a ton of tackles (the NFL didn’t keep track of total tackles at the time) to go along with two interceptions for 62 return yards.

Following the season, Bergey was chosen for the Pro Bowl, and he was honored as the AFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

 

Stalwart for the Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals helmet is seen on the field
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

 

Before the 1970 season began, the organization realized they had two stars on both sides of the ball, Bergey and Cook, who had been selected as the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1969.

“Greg was our best player on offense, and Bill was our best player on defense,” Mike Brown said in 2024.

That year, Cook was on the disabled list with a bum shoulder, and Virgil Carter took his spot.

It took a while to jell as a team as fans looked on in disgust during the organization’s 1-6 start.

Beginning with a Week 8 victory over the Buffalo Bills, the Bengals won the rest of their games to finish 8-6 and lost to the Baltimore Colts in Cincy’s first trip to the playoffs.

Brown was named Coach of the Year, and Bergey had three interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery.

Cincinnati missed the postseason in 1971 and 1972 with 12 combined wins, but Bergey was becoming one of the best linebackers in the league.

In 1973, Brown whipped and spurred his players to a 10-4 record and a divisional round loss to the Miami Dolphins.

During the season, Bergey had three interceptions, three fumble recoveries and 1.5 sacks.

 

Moving On

In the spring of 1974, the upstart World Football League’s Virginia Ambassadors (later moved to Florida and became the Blazers) signed Bergey to a personal services contract.

The new league meant more money for Bergey, although he wouldn’t play for the WFL until 1976, when his contract with the Bengals expired.

“It was strictly the money. I will make no bones about it,” Bergey said in 2013.

However, when Brown got wind of the agreement, he was not happy.

Brown and the Bengals sued Bergey for breach of contract and issued a temporary restraining order against the WFL.

After both sides presented their case, the court decided that Bergey had not breached his contract.

Bergey had planned to play out his existing contract with Cincy (the WFL would cease operations in 1975), but Brown felt betrayed.

“The Bengals were known for the tight buck.” Bergey continued, “It was almost impossible to get anything out of Paul Brown.”

Since Brown couldn’t get over the fact that Bergey wanted to leave, he decided to trade his linebacker, and several NFL teams reached out.

Mike McCormick, then the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, desperately wanted the veteran, and the two teams made an agreement.

“I ended up going on to Philadelphia, and at that time, it was for two number one round draft picks and a number two round draft choice,” Bergey said.

 

Pro Bowler

American Football Field

 

The change of scenery did Bergey well, especially with a $1 million contract that made him the highest-paid defender in the NFL.

During his first season in the City of Brotherly Love, he posted a career-high five interceptions and also had 3.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.

Following the season, Bergey was chosen as the team’s MVP, voted to the Pro Bowl, was a runner-up to Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle “Mean” Joe Greene for Defensive Player of the Year, and was selected as a first-team All-Pro.

Philadelphia went 7-7 in 1974 and 4-10 in 1975 as Bergey led the NFL with six fumble recoveries to pair with three interceptions.

After the season, McCormick was fired, and former UCLA head coach Dick Vermeil was hired to take over.

Right away, Bergey knew Vermeil meant business.

“Dick Vermeil instilled the discipline that was so obviously lacking by the Eagles’ players,” said Bergey. “It was the simple stuff, like you don’t take a knee on the field unless you are told to take a knee. You keep your chinstrap buckled all the time. We will have a water break when we want to give you a water break.”

At the same time, the coach appreciated hard work and the value of bonding with each other.

“[Vermeil] instilled in us the idea of appreciating our teammates, and he told us that it was OK to say that we loved each other. Doing that made us an even closer group,” said Bergey.

 

Building for Success

At the end of Vermiel’s first season, which consisted of just four wins, Bergey was named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro, then received second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods after a 5-9 record in 1977.

Along with his big, bushy beard that resembled an Old West mountain man, Coach Vermeil loved the playing style of number 66.

“His trademark was his intensity,” said Vermeil in 2016. “He played the game with attitude. Every practice was a game day for him. He could put a runner on his back and make him wonder, `Where did that Mack Truck come from?’”

At last, in the coach’s third season with the Eagles in 1978, the team broke through with a 9-7 record and a wild-card loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the first playoff appearance for the franchise since 1960.

Once again, Bergey’s stats (four picks and a career-high four sacks) warranted a fifth Pro Bowl and another second-team All-Pro selection.

In 1979, the Eagles went 11-5, beat Chicago in the wild-card round, then lost to Tampa Bay in the divisional round.

Unfortunately, Bergey watched from the sidelines for most of the season after suffering an excruciating knee injury in Week 3.

“I didn’t know [if I could come back]. I knew that we were getting close [to the end of my career],” he said.

 

One Last Run

American Football on Field

 

For the exception of a few games with Cincinnati in 1972, Bergey had almost never missed a game in his pro career.

Suddenly, at the age of 35, he was very mortal, and he knew the end was near.

During the offseason before 1980, Bergey rehabbed as much as possible and was cleared to return for his 12th year.

“If I was at one time a 100 percent football player, after my knee injury, I don’t think I got past 65 percent,” he said.

A big reason for wanting to return was not only Vermeil but the roster that the coach had built.

On offense, the Eagles boasted QB Ron Jaworski, running back Wilbert Montgomery, and receivers Harold Carmichael and Charlie Smith.

The defense had Carl “Big Daddy” Hairston, Bergey, and corner Herm Edwards, among others.

Even at 65%, Bergey started all 16 games and collected two sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and one interception.

Although he later estimated that he had 135 combined tackles that year, Bergey wasn’t happy with his play.

“It was just absolutely dreadful,” remarked Bergey. “I used to watch film, and I would remember, ‘Gosh, I used to be able to make that play, and it was so easy to make that play.’ I just couldn’t make it anymore. That’s when it was time for me to hang up the old strap.”

Before he called it quits, Philly won 12 games, the most in franchise history, and beat Minnesota in the divisional round.

 

Reaching the Super Bowl

superbowl

 

Next up was division rival Dallas for the NFC Championship, and the dreaded Cowboys traveled to Pennsylvania looking to spoil the Eagles’ magic season.

Instead, the Birds were so intent on vanquishing their foes that they smoked America’s Team 20-7.

“We destroyed the Dallas Cowboys that day,” Bergey said. “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.’”

Two weeks later, the organization was in New Orleans to face the Oakland Raiders (who the Eagles beat in Week 12) in Super Bowl XV.

Before the contest, Las Vegas oddsmakers installed Philly as three-point favorites.

Then, the game began, and the Raiders were ahead, 14-0, at the end of the 1st quarter.

Eagles kicker Tony Franklin kicked a field goal in the second quarter to put the score 14-3 at halftime.

In the second half, it was all Oakland, and the final score read 27-10.

“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 said in 2015. “That’s not a copout or anything. We never talked about going to the Super Bowl.”

 

Bergey Retires

retirement

 

The following spring, Bergey tried to rehab his knee again to play in 1981, but the pain and loss of ability was too much to ignore, and he called it quits.

“Dick Vermeil, my wife, several other people at my news conference, everybody was crying. My attitude was, ‘Hey, that part of my life is over. I can feel bad about it, or I can turn around and do a big one-eighty and make something happen,’” Bergey said.

During his career, number 66 had an estimated 1,200 tackles, 18.5 sacks (unofficial, since the NFL didn’t begin keeping track until 1982), four forced fumbles, 21 fumble recoveries, 27 interceptions and 397 return yards.

Bergey was a five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro, AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and played in Super Bowl XV.

Although he has not been selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bergey has been added to the Bengals’ 50th Anniversary Team, and has been inducted into the Eagles’ Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, and the Chautauqua (New York) Sports Hall of Fame.

 

Second Career and Death

Woman with black funeral ribbon

 

During his football career, Bergey almost never stopped to take a breath, and it was the same in retirement.

He hung up his shoulder pads and immediately got into the business world as a part-owner in hotels and golf courses.

Bergey remained a member of the Eagles as the team’s radio and television commentator for 23 years.

The former Pro Bowler also took part in the lawsuit that former players brought against the NFL in connection with concussions, which was decided in 2013.

Bergey and his wife, Micky Kay, had three sons, and two of them, Jake and Josh, were both professional lacrosse players.

In 2023, Bergey shared that he was diagnosed with cancer.

“I was going to my dentist, and my dentist didn’t like what he saw,” Bergey said. “He wanted me to go to Philadelphia, to the Penn Center, and have it checked out. And when they checked it out, they saw that cancer had started in my jaw. I didn’t give it the old, ‘Why me?’ or anything like that. I just thought that I had to fight it just like I would fight anything else that I needed to fight.”

Using the same determination he used as a pro football player, Bergey fought the disease for over a year before it claimed his life on December 25, 2024.

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

Bergey was 79 years old.

 

References

https://www.pro-football-reference.com

chautauquasportshalloffame.org

chautauquasportshalloffame.org

https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com

https://www.si.com

nationalfootballpost.com

https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com

www.bestofarkansassports.com

rickgosselin.com

https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com

https://www.espn.com

chautauquasportshalloffame.org

https://www.bengals.com

https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net

buffalosportshallfame.com

https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com

https://astateredwolves.com

NEXT:  The Life And Career Of Herm Edwards

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Ben Donahue
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Pro Football History Staff
Ben Donahue
Contributor at Pro Football History
Over 25 years of experience in sports including coach, athletic director, game day operations, media relations, football operations, and scout. He is [...]

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