Lindy Berry
Encyclopedia
Lindy Berry is an American former gridiron football quarterback
. He played college football
for the TCU Horned Frogs
at Texas Christian University
. Berry was selected in the 1950 NFL Draft
, and played professional football for two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos
in what later became the Canadian Football League
(CFL). In 1950, he received the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
for the CFL West Division's most valuable player
.
in Wichita Falls, Texas
. While there, he played football
under head coach Thurman "Tugboat" Jones
. During his junior season in 1944, he led the Coyotes to an 8–3 record and the district championship. Nevertheless, Berry said, "There was this café in town where people went on Saturday mornings to rehash the game from the night before. One morning I heard a couple of guys in there talking about me. One said, 'He will never make it.' I said to myself, 'We'll see.'" As a senior in 1945, Berry led Wichita Falls to a 11–1–1 record. The Coyotes' sole loss was to the eventual state champions, Highland Park High School
, which eliminated Wichita Falls in the semifinals.
where he played on the Horned Frogs
varsity football team all four seasons. In addition to playing quarterback, he was also TCU's punt
and kickoff returner and played safety on defense. His passing
duo with end Morris Bailey was nicknamed the "Berry-to-Bailey Battery." Wichita Falls' Times Record News
reported an incident that demonstrated Berry was "tough as nails". In one unspecified game against the Texas Longhorns
, Berry dropped back in the pocket
looking to pass. A Longhorns defender, Errol Fry, dodged a block
and sacked
Berry. During the tackle
, Fry's elbow struck Berry in the face and knocked out two of his front teeth and broke his jaw
. Nevertheless, Berry played the following week, while wearing a hockey mask to protect his jaw that had been wired shut.
He earned his first letter as a freshman in 1946. In 1947, he led the team in passing with 429 yards, 31 completion
s on 67 attempts, and one touchdown
. He also led the team in rush
ing with 379 yards on 112 attempts and four touchdown
s. In 1948, Berry recorded 706 passing yards, 61 completions on 134 attempts, and two touchdowns. Midway through the season, he ranked second in the nation in total offensive yards until surpassed by Charlie Justice of North Carolina
. Berry finished the season as the team's rushing leader with 783 yards on 190 attempts and four touchdowns. He was named an All-Southwest Conference selection. He also received the Rogers Trophy as the team's most valuable player
. In 1949, Berry compiled 1,445 passing yards, 106 completions on 220 attempts, and seven touchdowns. He also threw 23 interception
s, which to date remains the school record. He was named a first-team All-American and an All-Southwest Conference selection. After the season, he participated in the East-West Shrine Game
. During that season, he compiled 1,445 passing yards in 10 games. At the time, only one other TCU quarterback had exceeded that in a season, Heisman Trophy
winner Davey O'Brien
, and he had the benefit of playing in one additional game.
During his college career, Berry had recorded 1,745 rushing yards, 1,372 punt return yards, 729 kickoff return yards, 185 interception return yards, and 32 receiving yards. He graduated from TCU as its all-time career leader in all-purpose yardage, a distinction which stood through the mid-1980s when his mark was surpassed by Tony Jeffery. Berry's 2,101 total kick return yards set a school record that stood until 2005, when it was broken by Cory Rodgers
.
by the San Francisco 49ers
as the 89th overall pick. He played two seasons for the Edmonton Eskimos
in what later became known as the Canadian Football League
(CFL) from 1950 to 1951. He was awarded the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
in 1950 as the West Division's most valuable player
. He was named to the CFL's 1950 All-West second team.
. Their grandson, Charlie Berry, played for Highland Park High School and the SMU Mustangs
at Southern Methodist University
as a defensive lineman. Since those are both rivals of the elder Berry's alma mater
s, he said, "It wasn't easy but I had to cheer for Charlie."
Berry was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
in 2004. In 2008, he was inducted into the Oil Bowl
Hall of Fame, which honors the most outstanding past participants of a high school football all-star game between Texas and Oklahoma players. That same year, Sports Illustrated
listed him among six others as "worthy of consideration" as the best player to have ever worn the number
43.
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He played college 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...
for the TCU Horned Frogs
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
at Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
. Berry was selected in the 1950 NFL Draft
1950 NFL Draft
The 1950 National Football League Draft was held on January 20–21, 1950.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
, and played professional football for two seasons 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...
in what later became 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....
(CFL). In 1950, he received the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
The Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy is a trophy awarded to the Canadian Football League West Division's Most Outstanding Player, chosen from the nominees from each team in the division...
for the CFL West Division's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
Early life
Berry was born circa 1928 and attended Wichita Falls High SchoolWichita Falls High School
Wichita Falls High School or WFHS is a public school in Wichita Falls, Texas . It is part of the Wichita Falls Independent School District and is one of the district's three high schools....
in Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
. While there, he played 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....
under head coach Thurman "Tugboat" Jones
Thurman Jones
Thurman Lee “Tugboat” Jones is a former American football player and coach. For more than 20 years he successfully coached high school football in the state of Texas....
. During his junior season in 1944, he led the Coyotes to an 8–3 record and the district championship. Nevertheless, Berry said, "There was this café in town where people went on Saturday mornings to rehash the game from the night before. One morning I heard a couple of guys in there talking about me. One said, 'He will never make it.' I said to myself, 'We'll see.'" As a senior in 1945, Berry led Wichita Falls to a 11–1–1 record. The Coyotes' sole loss was to the eventual state champions, Highland Park High School
Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas)
Highland Park High School is located in University Park, Texas.Highland Park is a part of the Highland Park Independent School District. It serves all of the city of University Park, most of the town of Highland Park, and portions of Dallas.-History:...
, which eliminated Wichita Falls in the semifinals.
College career
Berry attended Texas Christian UniversityTexas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
where he played on the Horned Frogs
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
varsity football team all four seasons. In addition to playing quarterback, he was also TCU's punt
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
and kickoff returner and played safety on defense. His passing
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
duo with end Morris Bailey was nicknamed the "Berry-to-Bailey Battery." Wichita Falls' Times Record News
Times Record News
Times Record News is a daily newspaper based in Wichita Falls, Texas, US since 1907. It is owned by the newspaper group, The E.W. Scripps Company.From 1976 the newspaper was part of Harte-Hanks Newspapers...
reported an incident that demonstrated Berry was "tough as nails". In one unspecified game against the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, Berry dropped back in the pocket
Passing pocket
The passing pocket is a term used in American football to describe the area in the backfield that is created on a passing play where the offensive line forms a wall of protection around the quarterback to protect him...
looking to pass. A Longhorns defender, Errol Fry, dodged a block
Blocking (American football)
In American football, blocking is a legal move occurring when one player obstructs another player's path with his body. The purpose of blocking is to prevent defensive players tackling the ball carrier, or to protect the quarterback while attempting to pass or hand-off the ball...
and sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
Berry. During the tackle
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, Fry's elbow struck Berry in the face and knocked out two of his front teeth and broke his jaw
Mandibular fracture
Mandibular fracture also known as fractures of the jaw are breaks though the mandibular bone. They usually occur due to trauma and are often associated with other facial trauma....
. Nevertheless, Berry played the following week, while wearing a hockey mask to protect his jaw that had been wired shut.
He earned his first letter as a freshman in 1946. In 1947, he led the team in passing with 429 yards, 31 completion
Completion (American football)
A completion is a term used in American football when a receiver successfully catches a pass. The three possible outcomes of a pass thrown are completion, incompletion, and interception, respectively....
s on 67 attempts, and one touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. He also led the team in rush
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
ing with 379 yards on 112 attempts and four touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. In 1948, Berry recorded 706 passing yards, 61 completions on 134 attempts, and two touchdowns. Midway through the season, he ranked second in the nation in total offensive yards until surpassed by Charlie Justice of North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
. Berry finished the season as the team's rushing leader with 783 yards on 190 attempts and four touchdowns. He was named an All-Southwest Conference selection. He also received the Rogers Trophy as the team's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. In 1949, Berry compiled 1,445 passing yards, 106 completions on 220 attempts, and seven touchdowns. He also threw 23 interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
s, which to date remains the school record. He was named a first-team All-American and an All-Southwest Conference selection. After the season, he participated in the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
. During that season, he compiled 1,445 passing yards in 10 games. At the time, only one other TCU quarterback had exceeded that in a season, Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Davey O'Brien
Davey O'Brien
Robert David O'Brien was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Texas Christian University and was drafted in the first round of the 1939 NFL Draft. In 1938, O'Brien won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and the...
, and he had the benefit of playing in one additional game.
During his college career, Berry had recorded 1,745 rushing yards, 1,372 punt return yards, 729 kickoff return yards, 185 interception return yards, and 32 receiving yards. He graduated from TCU as its all-time career leader in all-purpose yardage, a distinction which stood through the mid-1980s when his mark was surpassed by Tony Jeffery. Berry's 2,101 total kick return yards set a school record that stood until 2005, when it was broken by Cory Rodgers
Cory Rodgers
Dacor Tremaine "Cory" Rodgers is a professional football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He played collegiately for Texas Christian University.-High School Years:...
.
Professional career
Berry was selected in the seventh round of the 1950 NFL Draft1950 NFL Draft
The 1950 National Football League Draft was held on January 20–21, 1950.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
as the 89th overall pick. He played two seasons for 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...
in what later became known as 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....
(CFL) from 1950 to 1951. He was awarded the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
The Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy is a trophy awarded to the Canadian Football League West Division's Most Outstanding Player, chosen from the nominees from each team in the division...
in 1950 as the West Division's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. He was named to the CFL's 1950 All-West second team.
Personal life
In 1951, Berry married Mary, the secretary of his former college coach Dutch MeyerDutch Meyer
Leo R. "Dutch" Meyer was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Texas Christian University from 1934 to 1952, compiling a record of 109–79–13. His TCU Horned Frogs football teams of 1935 and 1938 have been recognized...
. Their grandson, Charlie Berry, played for Highland Park High School and the SMU Mustangs
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
as a defensive lineman. Since those are both rivals of the elder Berry's alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
s, he said, "It wasn't easy but I had to cheer for Charlie."
Berry was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in 2004. In 2008, he was inducted into the Oil Bowl
Oil Bowl (high school)
The Oil Bowl is a high school football game played between All-Star teams from Texas and Oklahoma. The all star game began in 1938, originally between East and West Texas high school football all-stars. It was not until 1945 that the game began pitting Oklahoma against Texas...
Hall of Fame, which honors the most outstanding past participants of a high school football all-star game between Texas and Oklahoma players. That same year, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
listed him among six others as "worthy of consideration" as the best player to have ever worn the number
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...
43.