He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and recognized as the best collegiate defensive back in the country.

[5] Berry received many scholarship offers, but chose to attend the University of Tennessee, where he played from 2007 to 2009 under head coaches Phillip Fulmer and Lane Kiffin.

Following Tennessee's 37–14 loss to Virginia Tech in the 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl, Berry announced his decision to forgo his final year of college football eligibility, entering the 2010 NFL draft.

[25] On March 16, 2010, Berry opted to participate in Tennessee's pro day but chose to stand on his combine numbers and only performed positional drills.

[31] He was ranked as the top safety prospect in the draft by NFL analyst Mike Mayock, DraftScout.com, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated.

[45] In Week 9, he recorded four combined tackles and a season-high two sacks on quarterback Jason Campbell in the Chiefs' 23–20 overtime victory at the Oakland Raiders.

[46] On December 26, 2010, Berry made four solo tackles, broke up a pass, and returned an interception for a 54-yard touchdown to mark the first score of his career.

His interception was off a pass by quarterback Kerry Collins that was originally intended for Nate Washington and occurred in the second quarter of their 34–14 victory against the Tennessee Titans in Week 16.

[47] He finished his rookie season with a career-high 92 combined tackles (77 solo), nine pass deflections, four interceptions, two sacks, a touchdown, and a forced fumble in 16 games and 16 starts.

[49] On January 24, 2011, it was reported that Berry would play in the 2011 Pro Bowl as a replacement for Troy Polamalu, who was appearing in the AFC Championship with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[51] Berry helped to improve the Kansas City defense from 29th best unit in the 2009 season in terms of points allowed to 11th in the 2010 season,[52][53] In addition to starting every game, Berry was on the field for almost half of Kansas City's special teams plays and was the only Chiefs defender to play every defensive snap.

[55] On January 9, 2011, Berry recorded ten combined tackles and a season-high four pass deflections during a 30–7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round.

[60] On September 14, the Kansas City Chiefs officially placed him on injured reserve prematurely ending his second season before he recorded a stat.

Head coach Romeo Crennel named Berry and Lewis the starting safety duo to begin the regular season.

[70] On September 19, 2013, Berry recorded five solo tackles, two pass deflections, and returned an interception off Michael Vick for a 37-yard touchdown in the Chiefs' 26–16 victory at the Philadelphia Eagles.

[72] On December 15, 2013, Berry collected three combined tackles, two pass deflections, a season-high two interceptions, and a touchdown during a 56–31 victory at the Oakland Raiders.

[76] He finished the season with 74 combined tackles (66 solo), ten pass deflections, a career-high 3.5 sacks, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and two touchdowns in 15 games and 15 starts.

[77] On January 4, 2014, Berry started in the AFC Wild Card Round and recorded nine combined tackles and a forced fumble during their 45–44 loss at the Indianapolis Colts.

[80] He started the Kansas City Chiefs' season-opener against the Tennessee Titans and recorded a career-high 15 combined tackles (14 solo) and a pass deflection during their 26–10 loss.

[82] On November 20, 2014, Berry recorded five combined tackles and began complaining of chest pains after their 24–20 loss at the Oakland Raiders.

[87] Head coach Andy Reid opted to bring Berry back gradually and named him the backup free safety behind Husain Abdullah to begin the 2015 regular season.

[88] On September 17, 2015, he made his first start of the season and recorded four solo tackles in his return to Arrowhead Stadium as the Chiefs lost to the Denver Broncos 31–24.

[96] On January 9, 2016, Berry started in the AFC Wild Card Round and recorded three combined tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception as the Chiefs routed the Houston Texans 30–0.

On August 28, 2016, Berry signed a one-year, $10.80 million franchise tag to remain with the Chiefs for the 2016 season after both parties were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term contract.

[102] On November 13, 2016, Berry recorded nine combined tackles, two pass deflections, and returned an interception by Cam Newton for a 42-yard touchdown in the Chiefs' 20–17 victory at the Carolina Panthers.

[108] He finished the season with 77 combined tackles (62 solo), nine pass deflections, four interceptions, a forced fumble, and two touchdowns in 16 games and 16 starts.

He started the Kansas City Chiefs season-opener at the New England Patriots and recorded seven combined tackles, before leaving their 42–27 victory on Thursday Night Football in the fourth quarter after sustaining an apparent Achilles injury.

[127] Berry's uncle, Bernard Williams, played offensive tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs and Philadelphia Eagles, and is his mentor and business partner.

[129] He established the Eric Berry Foundation in 2011 that strives to provide safe environments for children to participate in team sports.

[130] He also hosts annual youth football camps in Atlanta, Tennessee, and Kansas City with proceeds going to the Eric Berry Foundation.