William "The Refrigerator" Perry Has Survived a Difficult Post-Football Life by Kyle Dalton on April 18, 2020 When the Chicago Bears picked William "The Refrigerator" Perry from Clemson in the first round of the 1985 NFL selection, there were great expectations. Perry did not disappoint, quickly becoming a household name. The 5' 11", 200-pound running back from Rock Hill, South Carolina rushed for 1,178 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first season with the Bears. He also returned kicks and played defense after starting out as a backup to Brian Piccolo during training camp.
After one season, the Bears decided to give their top running back job to Perry. However, he was soon replaced by Thomas Jones after injuring his knee early in a game against the New York Giants. Jones would go on to have a very successful career with the Bears, finishing with 4,928 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns.
Perry finished with 3,305 rushing yards, 32 touchdowns, and an additional 233 receiving yards and two scores through seven seasons with the Bears. At the end of the 2008 season, he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
During his time in Chicago, Perry became good friends with quarterback Jay Cutler. When Cutler was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2014, he brought Perry with him. The duo helped the Dolphins reach the playoffs each year they were together before Perry was released at the end of 2015.
Perry, William "The Refrigerator"
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Perry, William |
| Alternative names | Perry, William Anthony; Perry, William A. |
| Short description | All-American college football player, professional football player, defensive lineman |
| Date of birth | December 16, 1962 |
72 Defensive lineman 90, Chicago Bears Defensive tackle, Philadelphia Eagles Number/William Perry The Fridge, by William "Refridgerator" Perry, was released in early 1987 as a mail-order offer from Hasbro Direct. He was eligible until 1988, then again in 1989. The figurine was imprinted with the number 72 on his breast (the number Perry wore on his Chicago Bears jersey). A second version with the number 90 was also released.
In addition to his career with the Bears, Perry also played for the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers. He finished his career with 29 sacks in 79 games played.
So, we know that Perry had the numbers 72 and 90 during his career as a defensive end with the Chicago Bears. We also know that he made it into the NFL before the release of the Refridgerator figure so he must have been active during some point in 1987. This means that the Fridge had to play at least one game during 1987.
The Fridge's first season was 1986, which makes him eligible to be added to any team's roster after they cut their original player. Since there were only 16 teams in the NFL in '86, this means that the Fridge could have played for any number of them.
The Fridge, by William "Refridgerator" Perry, was released in early 1987 as a mail-order offer from Hasbro Direct. It sold for $79.95.
After his first run, Perry returned in 1990 at the age of 24. This time he was awarded a gold medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for his work on refrigeration technology. His second run ended in 1996, when he died in a car accident near Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He was only 35 years old.
Among his many inventions, Perry is best known for his role in the development of the nuclear bomb during his tenure at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He was one of the few civilians allowed into this highly classified program and was given access to information about our nation's first atomic weapons. After leaving Los Alamos, he started his own company, which produced several successful products before it failed several years later.
Hasbro bought the rights to produce Perry's figure in 2007. They have done so successfully each year since his death in 1996 with no signs of stopping now that he has become a legendary toy maker.
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