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Billy Ray Barnes, a Philadelphia Eagles legend, passed away at 90 on Wednesday, the team announced.
The Eagles released a statement on Friday night, saying Barnes died in Landis, North Carolina while surrounded by his family and friends.
“He was 90 and had a fabulous life,” Barnes’ daughter, Billi Barnes Akins, said in the Eagles’ announcement.
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Philadelphia Eagles legend Billy Ray Barnes passed away at 90 years old. (Philadelphia Eagles)
Barnes was the team’s second-round pick in the 1957 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest, and he was a key member of the Eagles’ 1960 championship team.
During his career, he earned three Pro Bowl honors across his five seasons with the franchise.
“One of the things that he loved about the Eagles is in that championship game, they were the underdogs,” Akins added. “Dad Always liked being the underdog. He said it made him tougher, made him stronger, made him play harder.
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“He said the only thing that allowed them to win was their team. They were a team that was really tight and believed in each other.”
Barnes was a major component of that championship team’s offense, leading the team in rushing and receiving as their halfback.
Through his five seasons in Philadelphia, Barnes rushed for 2,391 yards with 20 touchdowns, while hauling in 120 receptions for 1,275 yards with eight scores through the air.
A view of a Philadelphia Eagles helmet during the game against the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 09, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
“The fondest memory of everything up there is the fans,” Barnes said in the 2021 feature “Where Are They Now?” “I played there for five years, but I lived there year-round for about eight years. The people were just great to me in Philadelphia.”
After his time in Philadelphia, Barnes played two seasons each with the Minnesota Vikings and the then-Washington Redskins.
Then, after his playing days, Barnes served as an assistant coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.
The Eagles had Barnes and his teammates return to Philadelphia for their 50-year reunion of the 1960 championship during the 2010 campaign.
“He never realized how people thought of these guys as the greatest ever,” Akins remembered. “People you wouldn’t even know would just call him and reach out to him.
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“The biggest thing was the friendships that he had made there. They were lifelong. He talks to a bunch of guys on the phone for years. He enjoyed everything about Philadelphia.”
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