Billy Ray Barnes, champ with 1960 Eagles, dies at 90

Field Level Media|published: Sat 3rd January, 12:47 2026

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings

Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of the Philadelphia Eagles helmet before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Billy Ray Barnes, a member of the 1960 NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles, died at age 90.

The team announced his passing, which occurred Wednesday in Landis, N.C.

Barnes was selected in second round of the 1957 NFL Draft after his college career at Wake Forest. He spent five seasons with the Eagles, three times named to the Pro Bowl.

In his rookie season, the halfback led the team in both rushing and receiving. With the Eagles, he appeared in 60 games (56 starts), and ran for 2,391 yards and 20 touchdowns. He caught 120 passes for 1,275 yards and added eight scores.

He later played two seasons each with the Washington and Minnesota franchises, and he retired with a total of 5,207 yards from scrimmage and 38 TDs in 98 games (74 starts).

His daughter, Billi Barnes Akins, told the team website that being part of the 1960 championship team was a career highlight.

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

She added, "He said the only thing that allowed them to win was their team. They were a team that was really tight and believed in each other."

The Eagles defeated the Vince Lombardi-led Green Bay Packers 17-13 in that championship game.

--Field Level Media