When the world lost the outsized spirit that was Arthur Donovan, Nestor turned the WNST airwaves into a public eulogy for the Hall of Fame defensive lineman and Baltimore legend. Another Hall of Famer, Raymond Berry, joined in for the memories and kind words for ‘Fatso’ and the rest of the Baltimore Colts legends and their legacy in the Charm City and what it meant to catch passes from Johnny Unitas at Memorial Stadium.
Raymond Berry, a Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts, reflects on his experiences at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and the impact of his former teammate, Art Donovan. Berry recalls the camaraderie and team spirit fostered by Donovan, who was a formidable player with a unique blend of strength, speed, and quickness. Despite their initial language barrier, Donovan’s humor and personality were integral to the Colts’ atmosphere. Berry also acknowledges the current success of the Baltimore Ravens and the city’s rich football history, expressing gratitude for the positive influence of Donovan on those around him.
- [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Solicit and record listener Art Donovan stories and phone calls during the show using phone number 481 1570 so audience memories can be shared on-air
Raymond Berry’s Reflections on Canton and NFL Legends
- Nestor Aparicio welcomes Raymond Berry and asks about his experience in Canton, Ohio.
- Raymond Berry shares memories of seeing old players and coaches, emphasizing the unique experience of being surrounded by NFL legends.
- Nestor Aparicio mentions the age difference between Berry and younger players, highlighting the historical significance of the NFL in the 1950s.
- Berry reflects on the long-term relationships and memories from his 25 years of coaching in the NFL.
Remembering Art Donovan and His Impact
- Nestor Aparicio brings up the passing of Art Donovan and his illness, expressing personal and public grief.
- Berry praises Donovan’s long life and the positive impact he had on everyone who knew him.
- Nestor Aparicio asks Berry about his first meeting with Donovan and their initial interactions, noting the cultural differences between them.
- Berry humorously mentions the need for a translator initially but highlights Donovan’s role in creating a strong team spirit within the Baltimore Colts.
Art Donovan’s Football Skills and Personality
- Nestor Aparicio discusses the public perception of Donovan as a comedian and TV personality, contrasting it with his football prowess.
- Berry describes Donovan’s unique combination of physical strength, quickness, and competitive spirit, which made him a formidable player.
- Nestor Aparicio inquires about Donovan’s sense of humor and practical jokes, noting his extensive storytelling abilities in later years.
- Berry recalls encouraging Donovan to be funny and mentions his ability to create stories quickly.
Baltimore’s NFL Legacy and Current Success
- Nestor Aparicio reflects on the history of the Baltimore Colts and the team’s move to Indianapolis, as well as the efforts to bring a team back to Baltimore.
- Berry praises the current leadership and ownership of the Baltimore Ravens, highlighting their success in building championship teams.
- Nestor Aparicio asks Berry about his personal memories of Art Donovan and the impact he had on those around him.
- Berry describes Donovan as one of the greatest people he has ever known, emphasizing his positive influence on individuals and crowds.
Final Thoughts and Tribute to Art Donovan
- Nestor Aparicio thanks Berry for his time and shares a personal connection to Berry, mentioning his father’s admiration for him.
- Berry expresses his appreciation and enjoyment of the experience in Canton, surrounded by NFL legends.
- Nestor Aparicio transitions to telling Art Donovan stories, inviting listeners to share their memories and experiences with Donovan.
- The conversation ends with Nestor Aparicio encouraging listeners to call in and share their stories, noting the absence of a producer and the spontaneous nature of the segment.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Raymond Berry, Art Donovan, Baltimore Colts, Hall of Fame, NFL memories, team spirit, physical strength, quickness, championships, Baltimore fans, leadership, positive influence, Canton, football player, comedy.
SPEAKERS
8
Raymond Berry, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Here, first off, Coach, how you doing? Good, good to have you aboard today.
Raymond Berry 00:04
Yeah, we better go here in Canton, Ohio. Had a great time seeing all the guys.
Nestor Aparicio 00:08
I drove back through Pittsburgh yesterday myself, Raymond. So, I, I’m with you, I fared the traffic, but what an amazing weekend. Before we get to already to talk about the 122 of you, what does that feel like to be on that bus over there, riding over there with many of those guys younger than you, but certainly they blazed the trail to make the NFL even bigger and greater than it was in the 50s when you played here.
8Raymond Berry 00:30
Well, it’s so many memories come back, you see your players that you played with, you played against over a long period of years, and then, of course, I coached to the National Football League 25 years, so I’m seeing guys that we played against and competed against. It’s just a memory experience, the lack of which I have never had.
Nestor Aparicio 00:50
Can you imagine missing it at any point? I know you, you just turned 80, correct?
Raymond Berry 00:56
That’s correct.
Nestor Aparicio 00:57
8Yeah, I mean, you know, I, some people were missing on the stage, saying, I don’t know, you know, what the politics of it all, in all that stuff, but I couldn’t help but think of Artie, and I knew how sick Artie was. I, I had been informed for two weeks, and you know, we didn’t go public here at WNST with any of the information, out of respect to Dottie and the family. And then he passed last night, and you know, I couldn’t help but sit there and think Artie is one of the ones that I mean, I saw Lenny, I saw you, you know, obviously John Ogden, such a huge thing for Baltimore this weekend, but I couldn’t help but think of art on Saturday night as the sun set behind that, behind that dace in Canton.
Raymond Berry 01:33
Well, I think all of us just be very, very thankful that we’ve had him this long, because the man was, you know, a very special blessing and lives of anybody that knew him, anybody whose lives that he touched, and he, you know, we just had him for a long time, so we ought to be thankful.
Nestor Aparicio 01:51
So, for the years you play with Art, do you have any recollection of the first time you met him, what you thought of him, what you made of him as a young man? Because I mean we’re going back 5060 years now, many people in our audience knew of art as the guy who, who did funny stuff on television, who became a guy who drank schlitz and ate hot dogs and sort of embodied the old school football player, but you knew the real man and you guys went at it trying to win championships and you achieved your goals, and as Bill Parcell said, from the dates the other night, it changes lives when you win championships together, and that bond is never broken.
Raymond Berry 02:28
Well, you gotta remember that I was out of Texas, he was out of the Bronx, so we had to have a translator there for a couple of years.
8Nestor Aparicio 02:35
Who was that? Did Unite us try to translate or something?
Raymond Berry 02:40
He couldn’t understand me, and I couldn’t understand him, and we had a great time. He was a, you know, he was a born comedian, and you know what, he brought her Baltimore Coles was a whole lot more than being the greatest defensive tackle in the game. The atmosphere with the Colts, I think started with Artie Donovan. He was a catalyst for the tremendous team spirit that we had, and it was one of our greatest assets
Nestor Aparicio 03:11
for you, with the memories and all that we talked so much about the comedy, and I’ve only seen the grainy black and white footage, and you know the 58 championship game, the greatest game ever played, but and you see the highlights of him, you know, stiff arming somebody or tackling somebody in the buzz cut and all that, but to have played with him, talk about the kind of football player he was, because I think in some cases it gets lost in not just with the Hall of Fame and the Yellow Jacket, but just most people’s memories that are my age, I’ll be pushing 45 with Artie Irving being funny on a television set as a, as a, as a jokester, but not as a football player. I think we lose sight of the fact of how great he was.
Raymond Berry 03:53
8Well, I can tell you, a lot of people that hadn’t forgot it, there’s a whole lot of sinners and right guards you had to play against him, because you know the physical strength that he brought to the game was I don’t think anybody matched it at the time, he was immovable, and but then he had this great quickness where he could wrestle people, throw him out of the way, and get to the quarterback, he was a very unique physical combination of size, strength, speed, quickness, and you know, great competitor spirit.
Nestor Aparicio 04:30
So, for you, with the comedy part of this, was he always funny like that? I mean, from the very beginning, was it good nature, because you see him as such? I think of him with 25 he must have been one hell of a brute, coming out of the war, and all the stuff that he did, you know, he must have been a guy nobody wanted to mess with, 1955 right.
Raymond Berry 04:49
Well, I’m sure that that’s true, and as I’ve told him many times, I came there as a rookie in 55 I pulled him aside and told him to start being funny, so that. Going on,
Nestor Aparicio 05:03
but was he, was he a jokester early on, like practical jokes or just fun? Because I don’t know what stories he must have had in 55 I just know by the time he hit radio in his 70s and 80s, here he had about 10,000 stories in his little fight, you know, rolodex, he just pull them out and tell stories all day.
8Raymond Berry 05:20
Oh well, if he didn’t have a story, he’d make up one in about a few seconds. It wasn’t any problem for an Irishman.
Nestor Aparicio 05:26
Well, this weekend out in Canton to see the Baltimore love and the tradition. Look, we, we all know that you know RC moved the team, we all know what happened out in Indianapolis, we know about us fighting to get a team back. You went off to New England and tried to win championships there as a coach, but to see the whole thing come full circle 5060 years later, that not only does Baltimore have a team where the reigning world champs, the standing champs, and John Ogden goes into the Hall of Fame, and all these Baltimore people come out, you must have gotten a little extra special love this weekend, just with so many Baltimoreans out in Canton.
Raymond Berry 06:01
Well, it was a reminder, you know, the Baltimore fans not remind them of this, you know, to have two organizations with great leadership at the top, and that’s where it all starts, and the ownership who does all the right moves, as far as hiring the coaches and getting the players, Baltimore is off the board with how fortunate they’ve been with quality football and championship teams, and we ought to, as Baltimoreans, we ought to all be very happy about that.
Nestor Aparicio 06:31
8How will you personally remember Art Donovan when someone says Art Donovan to you? What would you say about Art Donovan?
Raymond Berry 06:41
I just think he’s one of the greatest people you know that I’ve ever been around. He’s one of the most influential people in that, you know, what he brought to a group, what he brought to an individual, what he brought to a crowd was just a very positive, uplifting experience. When you were in his presence for any length of time, you went away, you were much, much benefited by the experience.
Nestor Aparicio 07:06
mr. Barry, I really appreciate you taking a few minutes of your time to give us a call. Good health to you. It was great seeing you in Canton this weekend, up on the stage with all the other legends, and my dad loved you, man. Let me just tell you that,
Raymond Berry 07:20
all right. Well, thank you very much. I enjoyed it. Thank you. Hello,
8Nestor Aparicio 07:22
thank you very much. Well, you just did. Appreciate you, Raymond Barry, the great Raymond Berry, joining us here on WNSD. I’m Nestor. It’s 10:22am For those of you tuning in, expecting to hear anything but me, or for those of you out on our Facebook or Twitter social media communities that I just threw an A PB out, 481 1570 is the way to get in. I want to tell some Art Donovan stories. I want to get your memories. I want to get some phone calls. I have no producer because Luke is about to walk out the door, and I just called an audible. I just said I want to come in and tell Art Donovan stories. So I’m going to tell Art Donovan stories. I’m going to pray that you tell smart Donovan stories, and I guess we’ll maybe chase some other people and tell some more to the stories. The Orioles do not play today. The Mariners.
