Bob Berry, who played two stints with the Vikings as a backup quarterback and was part of three teams that reached Super Bowls, died Wednesday in California. He was 81.
Berry backed up Fran Tarkenton from 1965-66 and again from 1973-76. After backing up Joe Kapp in 1967, Berry headed to Atlanta and started seven of 10 games in the third Falcons season.
"Bob was just a great person and one of my closest friends as teammates," former Vikings running back Dave Osborn said in a team news release. "He was a great fit for our team at that time."
Berry bounced back from an NFL-high 48 sacks in 1968 with Atlanta to make the Pro Bowl the following season.
He started 50 of the 54 games he played for the Falcons from 1968-72 before returning to Minnesota along with a 1974 first-round pick as compensation for quarterback Bob Lee and linebacker Lonnie Warwick.
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![Goldy Gopher visits with a young fan at Williams Arena during a game in March.
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