Eric Berry returns pick-six, gives ball to mother (Video)

Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry intercepts a pass from Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan for an impressive pick-six near halftime in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Falcons hosted a tough Kansas City Chiefs team at home in Week 13. This game was tied at 13 points apiece with less than a minute remaining. The Falcons were able to force a Kansas City punt and had an opportunity to get points before halftime.

On the ensuing Falcons drive, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan would try to force a pass between the hash marks. Chiefs safety Eric Berry would pick off Ryan’s pass and take it to the house for six points. Kansas City would lead Atlanta 20-13 after the made Cairo Santos PAT.

A cool part of Berry’s pick-six of Ryan was that he was able to give the football to his mom. Berry grew up in suburban Atlanta and played his college football in the SEC at the University of Tennessee.

Since the Falcons only play the Chiefs once every four years, this was the first time that Berry got to play in his native Georgia as a professional. It was an emotional pick for Berry, who had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma midway through the 2014 NFL season. Many thought he was done playing in the NFL when he found out he had cancer.

Berry triumphed over cancer and would be the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2015. As soon as Berry picked off Ryan, everybody watching the game knew that he was going to take it for six points.

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Berry may not get another opportunity to play in Atlanta before he retires. Kansas City only plays in Atlanta once every eight years. Could Berry play in Atlanta in 2024? Maybe, but he certainly made the most of his first professional game in his home state on Sunday afternoon.