Today in Patriots History: Raymond Berry

[PatsFans.com Article]

Today in Patriots History: Raymond Berry

John Morgan

Berry was the New England wide receivers coach for four seasons under Chuck Fairbanks and Ron Erhardt. He returned three years later as head coach, replacing Ron Meyer mid season. 1985 was Berry's first full season as head coach. It would turn out to be t

Continue reading...

(If you enjoyed this entry - hit the Thumbs Up/If not, hit the Thumbs down in this thread)

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

He immediately commanded respect in the locker room and on the practice field, being a Hall of Famer and having coached for years as an assistant in Foxborough.

Berry was working at a sporting goods store when Pat Sullivan asked him to coach the team in the wake of Ron Meyer being fired. It was considered a "risky" move, insofar as Berry was not a "sexy" or "popular" prospect.

Berry not only had the players' attention, he initiated crucial innovations, including psychological motivational speakers, and extensive fumble drills which led the team to the top of the turnover stats. It was, in fact, a ridiculous advantage in turnover ratio which carried the team to four straight wins in elimination games, and a spot in Super Bowl XX in New Orleans.

Deeply religious and detail oriented, Berry had only one, gigantic Achilles' heel: Number 11, Tony Eason. Repeatedly starting the gifted but mediocre first round pick over Steve Grogan, and later Doug Flutie, sealed the team's early demise in the otherwise excellent 1985, 1986 and 1988 Patriots seasons.

 

[sean10mm]

Eason was the perfect tease at QB honestly. He was really efficient in 84 and 86, and on the Super Bowl run he was a great "game manager" type until the Bears exterminated him, which to be fair they did to everybody else.