Chicago Bears William The Fridge Perry Sharpie Signed Football Mini-Sponge Ball

This listing is for Chicago Bears William The Fridge Perry Sharpie Signed Football Mini-Sponge Ball.  

As shown in photos, this is a mini-football personally signed by William "The Fridge" Perry from an appearance event at Frank & Angie's Simply Fresh Foods. He signed and handed out these sharpie signed footballs with his name and jersey number on them. From my personal collection.

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. Nicknamed "the Refrigerator", he played college football for the Clemson Tigers, where he was named ACC Player of the Year, 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 23 or more. 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. 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).

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