Eric Berry

Who is Eric Berry?

Eric Berry is an elite football safety in the National Football League. Eric Berry is one of the most successful NFL players in history, having spent nine seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Berry has received numerous honors and awards throughout his career.

He is also known for fighting cancer bravely and triumphantly.

He took a year off from the game in 2019 and plans to return in 2020 or 2021.

Before we learn more about him in-depth, here are some quick facts about him.

Eric Berry’s Childhood and Family

In Fairburn, Georgia, on December 29, 1988,  Eric Berry was born to his mother Carol Berry, and father James Berry.

He is the third and oldest of three brothers.

Evan Berry and Elliot Berry are his younger twin brothers.

They are both football players who are currently unsigned. Berry was an active young man.

He took part in a variety of sports, including football.

Eric graduated from Creekside High School, where he set long jump and 200-meter hurdle records.

After graduating, he completed his high school football career and was ranked as the third-best football player in the country at the time.

Berry received scholarships from several universities as a result of his outstanding academic performance.

He chose the University of Tennessee and will play for their team under the direction of head coaches Philip Fulmer and Lane Kiffin.

Eric Berry’s College Experience

Berry had the pleasure of playing for the University of Tennessee from 2007 to 2009.

Berry was named SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year by the Sporting News his freshman year.

He also had the opportunity to play in many of the season’s big games.

Eric was named SEC Freshman of the Week twice for his outstanding performance in the three final matches.

His opponents also named him a first-team Freshman All-American.

He became team captain in his sophomore year, which is unusual.

Berry was named captain of the team due to his outstanding performance as a freshman.

Eric successfully set the record for the most interception return yards with 487 yards, which was only 14 yards less than the NCAA record.

His early success was so significant that many sports journalists predicted he would be Tennessee’s best defensive player ever.

He was also a Jim Thorpe Award, Lott Trophy, and Chuck Bednarik Award finalist.

Eric was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the second time and was named first-team All-SEC.

He was also named a unanimous first-team All-American.

He also received the Jack Tatum Award.

Berry had 87 tackles, two interceptions, nine passes defended, and one fumble recovery as a junior.

For the second time, he was named first-team All-SEC and unanimous first-team All-American.

Eric received the Jim Thorpe Award and the Jack Tatum Award from The Touchdown Club of Columbus for the second year in a row.

Berry made it clear to everyone that he intended to enter the NFL Draft in 2010.

• College 2000s Awards and Honors ESPN’s All-Decade High School Football Team, RivalsHigh.com’s Team of the Decade in the 2000s, Sports Illustrated’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s,
• Unanimous All-American in 2009, Jim Thorpe Award winner in 2009, Bronko Nagurski Award finalist in 2009, Lott Award finalist in 2009, Jack Tatum Award winner in 2009, First-team All-SEC in 2009. (Coaches, AP)
• Unanimous All-American in 2008, National Defensive Sophomore of the Year in 2008, SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, Jack Tatum Award winner in 2008, and first-team All-SEC in 2008. (Coaches, AP),
• Unanimous winner of the 2008 Vince Dooley Award and a finalist for the 2008 Jim Thorpe Award. First-team Freshman All-American in 2007,
• National Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2007 (Collegefootballnews. com), Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC in 2007. (Sporting News),Second-team All-SEC in 2007. (Coaches, AP), All-SEC Freshmen Team in 2007, Academic Honor Roll for All-SEC Freshmen in 2007, Georgia High School Player of the Year in 2006 (Gatorade)

College Stats

Eric Berry’s Professional Life

Eric chose to forego his senior year of college and enter the 2010 NFL Draft.

For the same reason, he attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he excelled at all tasks and finished second among safeties.

Eric was regarded as one of the most highly scouted safeties in NFL history.

St. Louis Rams GM Billy Devaney commented on Berry’s performance and impact during scouting, saying,

“Generally, safeties aren’t discussed going that high.

But, in everyone’s mind, this guy has an impact on the game. You try to get impact players, and Berry is one of them.”

Eric was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2010 draft.

He was the highest-drafted defensive player since 2004, and he chose Jersey No. 29 to honor his hometown as well as former Tennessee defensive back Inky Johnson, whose career was cut short due to an injury.

Eric also became the highest-paid safety in league history, with a $60 million contract that included a $34 million guarantee.

He made his Kansas City Chiefs debut as a starting safety against the San Diego Chargers, recording six combined tackles.

Berry finished his rookie season with 92 combined tackles, nine pass deflections, four interceptions, and a forced fumble in 16 games and 16 starts, a career-high.

2011- 2019

Eric Berry made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2011, and he was the only rookie selected since linebacker Derrik Thomas.

Berry’s presence on the team strengthened the team’s defense, propelling it to 11th best in the league in the 2010 season.

The Kansas City Chiefs finished first in the AFC West with a 10-6 record while Berry was on the team.

His second season with the Kansas City Chiefs began with an injury sustained during a game against the Buffalo Bills.

He tore his ACL and was unable to play the rest of the regular season.

Eric was the starting safety during the 2012 season’s first training session.

He went on to have a successful season, as he was named one of six Chiefs players to the 2013 Pro Bowl.

Andy Reid, the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, also decided to keep Berry as the starting safety.

Coach Reid decided to rest Berry before going into the playoffs, despite the fact that they had already secured the position.

Eric was once again one of the Chiefs’ players chosen for the 2014 Pro Bowl.

This was his third Pro Bowl appearance in a row. Berry had the second-highest overall score among safeties in 2013 according to Pro Football Focus.

In his fourth season with the Kansas City Chiefs, he played exceptionally well this season, recording a career-high 15 tackles.

When he was playing against the Denver Broncos, he suffered a high ankle sprain. And was benched for the next five games.

Combating Cancer

Despite his strong play, Eric Berry, his family, and his career had a difficult year in 2014 when a mass in his chest was discovered and he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

His season was immediately halted, and he was placed on the team’s non-football illness list.

His Lymphoma, fortunately, was treatable with chemotherapy, and his doctors were heard saying,

“With standard chemotherapy approaches, this is a very treatable and potentially curable diagnosis.” Mr. Berry’s treatment goal is to cure his lymphoma, and we are starting that treatment right now.”

Eric fought cancer bravely and triumphantly and was cleared to play football by doctors in July 2015, nearly nine months after being diagnosed.

After returning, Berry set a career-high with four pass deflections and intercepted a pass from legendary quarterback Peyton Mannings during a win over the Denver Broncos.

He won the Comeback Player of the Year award and was voted the 55th best NFL player in 2016 by his teammates.

Berry agreed to a six-year, $478 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, which included a $40 million guarantee and a $20 million signing bonus.

This made him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.

Berry ruptured his Achillies that season, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.

Berry was later diagnosed with Haglund’s deformity, a condition in which a bone spur digs into the Achilles and causes excruciating pain.

He missed the first 13 games due to the injury.

For the season, he appeared in two regular-season games and one playoff game.

In the year 2019, he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Eric Berry’s Personal Life, Family Life, and Net Worth

Eric’s father, James Berry, was also a University of Tennessee football player.

Similarly, his brothers Evan and Elliot Berry, who both played for the University of Tennessee and are now free agents, are also free agents.

Berry has had several endorsements, including one with Adidas, the sportswear giant, in 2014.

He is also involved in charitable work, and in 2011, he founded the Eric Berry Foundation to help provide safe environments for children to participate in team sports.

Eric suffers from equinophobia or fear of horses.

This was inconvenient because the Kansas City Cheifs’ mascot was a horse named Warpaint.

Berry is the highest-paid safety in the league, with an estimated net worth of $21 million.

Eric Berry is nominated for the Hall of Fame

Eric Berry, a former Tennessee star, is one of three ex-Vols on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2022 class, which was announced this year by the National Football Foundation.

Berry is joined on the ballot by wide receiver and return specialist Willie Gault and wide receiver Larry Seivers.

He is voting for the first time, whereas the other two have done so previously.

Eric is a Hall of Fame talent with his eight years in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, but what has held him back is his poor health.

Otherwise, those who recall Berry’s prime would almost certainly vote for him despite his 89 career games.

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Eric Berry: social media

Berry is active on Twitter and Instagram, where he frequently retweets and posts football-related content.