Robert Edward Bercich (November 9, 1936 – April 1, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans.
Early life
Bercich attended Argo Community High School, before moving on to Michigan State University. As a sophomore, he was moved between halfback and fullback. He became a starter at fullback as a junior and split time with Park Baker.[1][2]
Professional career
New York Giants
The New York Giants selected Bercich in the fifteenth round (179th overall) of the 1959 NFL draft with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over. He was also drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 1960 AFL draft. He was released on September 5, 1960.
Dallas Cowboys
On September 8, 1960, he was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys. He became the first starter (6 starts) at strong safety in franchise history, while splitting time with Gary Wisener (3 starts) and Fred Doelling (3 starts).[3] He finished with 46 tackles (19 solo), 2 interceptions and 11 passes defensed.
In 1961, he suffered a concussion during the seventh game against the New York Giants and did not play another contest in the season. The next year, he missed the pre-season with a knee injury and was released before the start of the 1962 season.[4]
Personal life and death
His son Pete Bercich played and coached in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings. Bercich died on April 1, 2024, at the age of 87.[5]
References
- ^ "Duffy Makes Major Change in Spartan Center Position". Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Tommy Wilson Will Try to Spark Spartans Saturday". Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "1960 Dallas Cowboys". Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "'Solid Nucleus' Spurs High Hope In Dallas". Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Robert Edward Bercich". www.hickeyfuneral.com. Retrieved 2024-04-04.