Eric Berry – Bio, Girlfriend, Height, Weight, Cancer and Injury History
Eric Berry is a professional football player who currently plies his trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a 9-year NFL veteran and plays in the defensive back position as a free safety. Berry is widely considered the NFL’s comeback guy, and the reason isn’t far-fetched. He’s battled career-threatening injuries and even cancer and is still one of the best defenders in the league. Want to know more about his battle with cancer and his injuries? We have you covered.
Eric Berry Bio
James Eric Berry was born on December 29, 1988 in Fairburn City, Fulton County, Georgia. He had his high school education at Creekside High School, where he excelled in multi-sports. He wrote in football, long jump and sprint and excelled in all three. He was crowned 2005 state champion in the 200m (category 4A) and long jump state champion in 2007 (category 4A). Berry was also selected to attend the 2007 Army All-American Bowl, a football game featuring 90 of the nation’s top high school football players. As a result of these exploits, he was pursued by several colleges that offered him scholarships, but he settled on the University of Tennessee.
Berry spent three years (2007-2009) at the University of Tennessee, where he broke multiple records and received numerous awards and honors. In his freshman year, he was named the SEC’s (South Eastern Conference) Best Defensive Freshman. In his sophomore year, he won the Jack Tatum Award for Best Defenseman and was unanimously named an All-American. He also had an excellent third year; He was again a unanimous All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive end in college football.
NFL career
Picked by the Kansa City Chiefs in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, Berry was his fifth pick overall, making him the earliest defensive team since 2004. The Chiefs signed a 6-year, $60,000,000 contract that made him the highest-paid safety in the league. They didn’t stop there, instead calling him their starting security for the season despite being a freshman. In his nine years with the Chiefs, Berry has repaid that tremendous statement of faith and proved himself to be worth every penny the Chiefs spent on him. In 87 games for the Chiefs, he has made 434 tackles (369 of which were solos) and deflected 50 passes. His records also include 5, 5 QB sacks and 14 interceptions for 374 yards and 5 touchdowns. His incredible performances have garnered him numerous awards and recognition, including five Pro Bowl nominations.
Experiences with cancer and injuries
It must be pointed out that it wasn’t all Bed of Roses for Berry as he endured challenges that would have ended an ordinary player’s career. In his second season with the Chiefs, he suffered an injury in the first game. A torn ACL that forced him to miss the remainder of the 2011 season. Berry didn’t let the injury get him down but returned with a bang in the 2012 season. He made a total of 86 tackles (77 of which were solo) and deflected 10 passes. His great performance earned him another Pro Bowl invite. Berry also had an amazing 2013 season, recording 3.5 QB sacks on top of his other wonderful stats.
In the 2014 season, Eric Berry faced his greatest opponent to date and it wasn’t an NFL team, it was cancer. By week 11 of the season, already dealing with a sprained ankle, he began experiencing persistent chest pain and discomfort. He informed the team’s doctors, who ran a series of tests and scans on him. Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in December 2014. Shocked, he returned to his family in Atlanta, where he received serious chemotherapy treatment. Berry went through six rounds of chemotherapy but continued to exercise, often in tears. Luck, however, smiled at Eric Berry when he was declared cancer-free on the 22ndHe returned to active practice in July and made an emotional comeback in a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on August 21, 2015.All his tears and sweats paid off as he went on to put on an incredible performance in the 2015 season. He made a total of 61 tackles, 55 of which were solo and 10 deflecting passes. He also made 2 interceptions for 40 yards. His exploits on and off the field earned him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and a Pro Bowl invite. Berry continued his strong performances over the next two seasons and was rewarded with a new six-year, $78,000,000 contract in 2017 that once again made him the league’s highest-paid safety officer. Unfortunately, Eric Berry suffered an Achilles injury in his first game of the 2017 season, which meant he had to miss the rest of the season. He is close to returning in 2018 and many advocate
family, girlfriend
Eric Berry comes from a family of five. His mother’s name is Carol Berry while his father’s name is James Berry. His father played college football for the University of Tennessee. Berry has two younger brothers, Elliot and Evan, who are twins and currently play football for the University of Tennessee. Berry credits God and his family with helping him beat cancer. He spent his months of treatment with his parents. His father, a phenomenal chef, cooked whatever he wanted to eat for him.
See Also: John Brown (NFL Wide Receiver) Biography, Family Life And Other Facts
Berry has been romantically linked to a lady bythe name Justine Brown. The two follow each other on social media and sometimes post pictures of themselves together. It is clear from her posts on social media that she has been supportive of him throughout his battle with cancer. However, it must be noted that there is nothing concrete to suggest that the two are dating. They are most likely just friends.
height and weight
Berry, wearing jersey number 29, is 6ft 0in tall (1.83m). He weighs 212 pounds or 96 kg. There’s no doubt his physique helped him become a terror for quarterbacks and other offensive players in the league.
