Bertrand Berry
Encyclopedia
Bertrand Demond Berry is a retired American football
defensive end
who most recently played for the Arizona Cardinals
.
Berry attended Humble High School
in Humble, Texas
, where he was a three-sport standout in basketball
, football
, and track
. In basketball, he was a two time all-district selection, and in track, he threw the discus
and set the school record for the shuttle hurdle relays.
and was a four-year letterman in football
. He finished his NCAA football career with 187 tackles and 16.5 sacks.
in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft
, starting out as a linebacker
before switching to defensive end. He spent most of his time there playing between defense
and special teams, starting
most of the games on defense. He signed with the St. Louis Rams
in 1999
, but was cut during training camp.
He signed with the Edmonton Eskimos
of the Canadian Football League
on September 26, 2000 on October 11 after seeing action in two games. He recorded one tackle in his two appearances.
By the 2003 season
with the Denver Broncos
, he was the starter at defensive end and led the team in tackles and sacks. He was picked up as a free agent
by Arizona before the 2004 season
, during which he was named as a starter to represent the NFC
in the 2005 Pro Bowl
.
On March 18, 2009, Berry agreed to a one-year contract.
On January 21, 2010, Berry announced his retirement from the NFL. He finished his career with 232 total tackles, 65 sacks and 13 forced fumbles.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
who most recently played for the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Berry started his football career in the Humble Area Football League HAFLBerry attended Humble High School
Humble High School
Humble High School is a secondary school located in the Humble Independent School District in Humble, Texas, United States.Humble High School , which serves grades 9 through 12, serves the city of Humble, the Moonshine Hill area of Houston, and unincorporated communities north of Beltway 8...
in Humble, Texas
Humble, Texas
Humble is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area.As of the 2000 census, the city population was 14,579. The city shares a zip code with the small Houston neighborhood of Bordersville, although people who live in Bordersville still have Humble...
, where he was a three-sport standout in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In basketball, he was a two time all-district selection, and in track, he threw the discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and set the school record for the shuttle hurdle relays.
College career
Berry attended the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and was a four-year letterman in football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. He finished his NCAA football career with 187 tackles and 16.5 sacks.
Pro career
Berry was selected by the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft
1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
, starting out as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
before switching to defensive end. He spent most of his time there playing between defense
Defense (sport)
In many team sports, defense or defence is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense, or a sub-team whose primary responsibility is defense...
and special teams, starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
most of the games on defense. He signed with the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, but was cut during training camp.
He signed with the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
on September 26, 2000 on October 11 after seeing action in two games. He recorded one tackle in his two appearances.
By the 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he was the starter at defensive end and led the team in tackles and sacks. He was picked up as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by Arizona before the 2004 season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, during which he was named as a starter to represent the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
in the 2005 Pro Bowl
2005 Pro Bowl
The 2005 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played February 13, 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 - NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts. The game holds the record as the latest Pro Bowl played during the calendar year.-Game summary:The game...
.
On March 18, 2009, Berry agreed to a one-year contract.
On January 21, 2010, Berry announced his retirement from the NFL. He finished his career with 232 total tackles, 65 sacks and 13 forced fumbles.