One of the greatest wide receivers in National Football League history, Raymond Berry's SMU jersey No. 87 was retired at halftime of Saturday's homecoming 21-7 win against Nevada. Berry earned two letters as a Mustang two-way player in 1953 and 1954.

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Berry was coached by his father at Paris High School and was a bit of a late bloomer. He didn't become a starting wide receiver in high school until his senior season. His SMU career did not take off until his junior season when he caught 11 passes for 144 yards in 1953. Despite his limited numbers and the fact that he had not started a game as a collegian, Berry was so well respected by his teammates that they voted him team co-captain in 1954.

Berry followed through his senior year and earned All-Southwest Conference honors as well as being named Academic All-American. He earned all-conference honors for his two-way prowess as he caught just 16 passes as a senior. "Defense always came more naturally to me," Berry said of his SMU days. "Offense was something I didn't know or understand back then."

That wasn't the case after his Mustang playing days came to an end. Berry was a 20th round draft choice of the Baltimore Colts in 1955 and he became one of the greatest draft selections in NFL history.

In his second year with the Colts (1956), Berry caught 37 passes for 601 yards and the next year he made the jump to one of the league's elite wideouts when he lead the NFL with 800 receiving yards on 47 catches. He led the NFL in receptions in 1958, '59 and '60 with 56, 66 and 74 receptions, respectively. He led the Colts to the NFL Championship in 1958 with one of the greatest performances by a wide receiver in an NFL title game. In the first nationally televised pro football game, Berry snagged 12 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown.

Berry retired after the 1967 season as a two-time NFL champion, the league's leader in receptions three times, the NFL receiving yards leader three times and as a five-time Pro Bowl performer. He was the NFL's all-time leading receiver with 631 catches for 9,275 yards and 68 TD's at the conclusion of his career.

Berry was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973 in his first year of eligibility and still remains the Colts' all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and games played (224). He followed his father into the coaching ranks and was the head coach of the New England Patriots from 1984-89. In 1985, he was named AFC Coach-of-the-Year after leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl. He received SMU's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1967, was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1974 and named to the GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1993.