Zack Baun honored Bill Bergey by wearing the late Eagles great’s medallion during the Super Bowl run
The Eagles' All-Pro linebacker paid tribute to another former All-Pro at the position. Bergey died on Christmas Day.
In the days leading into the NFC championship game, Howie Roseman entered the Eagles linebacker room with a medallion he got from Bill Bergey’s son, Jake.
Bergey, an Eagles Hall of Fame linebacker who played for the team from 1974 to 1980, died of cancer on Christmas Day. As a way to honor one of the best defensive players in franchise history, Roseman reached out to Bergey’s family hoping to keep a memento with the team during the postseason run a few weeks later. Roseman wound up with the pendant that had become synonymous with the Eagles great as a result.
“He wore this Eagles necklace that actually my mom had gotten him after he was All-Pro for the first time,” Jake Bergey said. “He never took it off. I mean, literally as long as I could remember him, he had that necklace around his neck.”
Given the story behind Bergey’s necklace, it was only fitting that Roseman would give it to the Eagles’ latest All-Pro linebacker, Zack Baun.
Leading up to the NFC title game against the Washington Commanders, Baun said, the Eagles general manager told him in front of his teammates that he wanted him to take the necklace featuring a vintage Eagles logo. He accepted and wore the medallion as he entered Lincoln Financial Field for the team’s 55-23 win over Washington.
“He’s a legend. An absolute legend,” Baun said Thursday. “One day, in our linebacker meeting, Howie knocks on the door, walks in, explains the story of the medallion and said, ‘Zack, I want you to have this.’ [I was] absolutely honored. Absolutely honored. To be representing him and his family, his legacy that way, it’s really cool.
“You talk about elite linebacker play and historical linebacker play. It’s just an honor to wear it and to represent him and his family.”
Jake Bergey said his daughter found the photo of Baun wearing the necklace on social media. The family also appreciated the full-circle nature of Bill Bergey being on the 1980 Eagles team that lost Super Bowl XV at the Superdome and Baun honoring him en route to winning the title in the same stadium. The Eagles plan to return the medallion to the Bergey family.
Before his father died, Jake Bergey said Bill Bergey suspected that this year’s team might go on a run.
“He just kind of had that feeling after the first few weeks and they started getting on a run that it was going to be something special,” Jake Bergey said. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t around to catch the end of it, but I’m sure he was cheering somewhere for them.”
Baun finished the postseason with a team-high 33 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries, further establishing himself as one of the best linebackers in the NFL this season. In terms of his status among the best Eagles linebackers in history after his tribute to Bergey, Baun acknowledged that he’ll need more than one season to truly join such company.
“In my mind, I still have more to do,” Baun said. “To really cement myself in linebacker history with the Eagles, in my mind, one year is not enough. Like I said before, I’m excited to see where this goes for me.”
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Whether Baun has that time with the Eagles will be determined this offseason. The 28-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent next month and likely will command a lucrative deal after becoming one of the most productive off-ball linebackers in the NFL. The converted outside linebacker had a team-high 151 total tackles and five forced fumbles in the regular season.
Roseman has a track record of steering resources away from the linebacker position in favor of building along the defensive line, and, more recently, at cornerback. Given that the top of the linebacker market earns around $18 million annually with a second-tier of players hovering around the $13 million mark, it’s fair to wonder whether the Eagles will be willing to compete with potential suitors to keep Baun long-term. He was on a one-year, $3.5 million contract.
When asked about his outlook going into free agency, Baun said he hadn’t moved past the Super Bowl and the plans for Friday’s parade enough to fully consider it. He did note that he hoped to stay with the Eagles after the year he had.
“I haven’t really thought about it much, honestly,” Baun said. “I’m just letting the dust settle on this Super Bowl victory. It’s a crazy accomplishment in itself. Tomorrow, I’ll celebrate with my team, I’m excited for that. And after that, I’ll really dive deep and think about what my future entails.
“I don’t know what it’s going to look like. My goal every time is to play the best football I can. Hopefully, it’s here. I love this place and I really appreciate what they’ve done for my career and my family and just everything. I’ve got a lot of options to weigh and stuff to think about.”
Baun also acknowledged that he’s an ideal fit in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme because of his range patrolling the middle of the field. The veteran coach was the one who initially believed Baun might benefit from a position change from edge rusher to off-ball linebacker, and Baun said the two have developed a strong relationship.
“I think we have a lot deeper of a connection than he even thinks or either of us think,” Baun said. “We each know what we did for each other. We’re linked up for life; it’s awesome. I just thank him so much for embracing me, having a vision for me, and really holding me accountable to the things that I could accomplish.”