William Perry

William Anthony Perry (born December 16, 1962) is an American former football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears.

Perry's athletic performances earned him a full-ride scholarship to attend Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, where he played for coach Danny Ford's Clemson Tigers football team from 1981 to 1984.

He was a member of a national championship team in 1981, and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American as a junior in 1983.

As a freshman in 1981, he earned his "Refrigerator" nickname when a fellow player could barely squeeze into an elevator with Perry and their laundry which they were taking to be washed.

The player, Ray Brown, said "Man, you're about as big as a refrigerator."

Nicknamed "the Refrigerator", he played college football at Clemson University and was selected by the Bears in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft.

Perry gained popularity during his rookie season as a member of the 1985 Bears team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XX.

During the season, Perry occasionally played fullback in goal line situations and set the then-record for the heaviest player to score a touchdown at 335 lb (152 kg).

He remains the heaviest player to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl and has the largest Super Bowl ring at size 25.

In 1985, he was selected in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears; he had been hand-picked by coach Mike Ditka.

However, defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who had a highly acrimonious relationship with Ditka, called Perry a "wasted draft-pick".

Perry soon became a pawn in the political power struggle between Ditka and Ryan.

Perry's "Refrigerator" nickname followed him into the NFL and he quickly became a favorite of the Chicago Bears fans.

Teammates called him "Biscuit," as in "one biscuit shy of 350 pounds".

While Ryan refused to play Perry, Ditka decided to use Perry as a fullback when the team was near the opponents' goal line or in fourth and short situations, either as a ball carrier or a lead blocker for star running back Walter Payton.

During his rookie season he rushed for two touchdowns and caught a pass for one.

Ditka stated the inspiration for using Perry as a fullback came to him during five-yard sprint exercises.

About halfway through his rookie season, Ryan finally began to play Perry, who soon proved that he was a capable defensive lineman.

Perry even had the opportunity to run the ball during the Bears' win in Super Bowl XX, as a nod to his popularity and contributions to the team's success.

The first time he got the ball, he was tackled for a one-yard loss while attempting to throw his first NFL pass on a halfback option play.

The second time he got the ball, he scored a touchdown (running over Patriots linebacker Larry McGrew in the process).

His Super Bowl ring size is the largest of any professional football player in the history of the event.

His ring size is 25, while the ring size for the average adult male is between 10 and 12.

During his popular tenure with the Bears, Perry participated in the recording of three rap records, all in 1985, in addition to the team's popular "Super Bowl Shuffle".

Walter Payton and Perry recorded an anti-drug, pro-peace rap tune entitled "Together" which was written by four Evanston, Illinois teens.

Perry participated in a World Wrestling Federation battle royal at WrestleMania 2 in Rosemont, Illinois in 1986.

Perry went on to play for ten years in the NFL, retiring after the 1994 season.

In his ten years as a pro, he regularly struggled with his weight, which hampered his performance at times.

He played in 138 games, recording 29.5 sacks and five fumble recoveries, which he returned for a total of 71 yards.

In his offensive career he ran five yards for two touchdowns, and had one reception for another touchdown.

Perry later attempted a comeback, playing an unremarkable 1996 season with the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football (later NFL Europa).

"Together" was re-released in 1999 with part of the profits going to the Walter Payton Foundation.

In 2002, Perry participated in (and lost) a Celebrity Boxing match against 7'7" former NBA player Manute Bol.

During an exercise in which his coach instructed all of his fastest players to line up for a 100-yard dash, Perry joined the group of running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs and eventually was timed as the 6th fastest runner on the entire team, with a time of 11 seconds flat.

He was also able to run the 100 meters in under 12 seconds, and competed in the shot put event, recording a top-throw of.

He could also execute 360-degree dunks on regulation basketball hoops and perform a complicated dive into the swimming pool.

Perry was born in Aiken, South Carolina, tenth of twelve children (eight sons and four daughters) of Hollie Perry, Sr (d. 2013), a house painter, and Inez (née Smith), a school dietitian.

He has stated in an interview that "Even when I was little, I was big"; by the time he was 11 years old, he weighed 300 pounds.

Frequently ridiculed for his weight while growing up, Perry took advantage of his athleticism to silence his critics.

He attended Aiken High School and played as a 295-pound nose guard on the school's football team and ran on its track team.