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2025NFCNFC EastNFLPhiladelphia EaglesWeek 18

Philadelphia Eagles Legend & NFL Champion Has Tragically Passed Away

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Philadelphia Eagles helmet
Philadelphia Eagles helmet (Photo via Imagn Images)

The Philadelphia Eagles have announced the passing of one of their icons ahead of a decisive Week 18. 

Billy Ray Barnes, a former halfback who helped the team win an NFL Championship, is dead at 90. He passed away on December 31.

“The Eagles are saddened to learn of the passing of Billy Ray Barnes, who was surrounded by loving family and friends in Landis, North Carolina, at the time of his death on Wednesday,” the Eagles said in a statement on Saturday. 

“He was 90 and had a fabulous life,” his daughter, Billi Barnes Akins, said.

Barnes was a second-round pick out of Wake Forest in 1957. He spent five years in Philadelphia, playing a key role in their 1960 NFL Championship win. He was a three-time Pro Bowler as an Eagle. 

“One of the things that he loved about the Eagles is in that championship game, they were the underdogs. Dad always liked being the underdog. He said it made him tougher, made him stronger, made him play harder,” his daughter said.

Billy Ray Barnes Lost His NFL Championship Ring After The 1960 Win

Football: NFL Championship: Philadelphia Eagles QB Norm Van Brocklin (11) in action, handoff to Billy Ray Barnes (Photo by Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Barnes led the Eagles in both rushing and receiving as a rookie, earning a Pro Bowl call-up. He tallied 2,391 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns during his time with the team. He added another eight TDs on 120 receptions. 

“The fondest memory of everything up there is the fans,” the former star said during a 2021 interview. “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.”

Barnes’ daughter said that her father’s championship ring was stolen from their home years after the win. She and her twin sister, Laini, along with the team, surprised him with a replacement on Christmas. 

The North Carolina native played two seasons in Washington and another two in Minnesota after leaving the Eagles. He later worked as an assistant coach with the Saints and Falcons. 

He was a two-time cancer survivor. Our thoughts are with his family.

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