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"P" is for Perry, William Anthony [b. 1962]

South Carolina From A to Z
SC Public Radio

"P" is for Perry, William Anthony [b. 1962]. Football player. Perry weighed more than thirteen pounds at birth. At Aiken High School, he was the focus of nationwide collegiate recruiting, but chose to play at Clemson. At Clemson, he soon earned the nickname “G.E.” from teammates and “Refrigerator” or “Fridge” from others because his six foot, three-inch, 320 pound stature resembled a kitchen appliance. He was Clemson’s first three-time All American. A first-round draft pick in 1985, he played nine seasons with the Chicago Bears. Although a professional-bowl-caliber defensive lineman, he became a national media sensation when Coach Mike Ditka began using the massive rookie as a running back. William Anthony Perry’s popularity was secured when he scored the final touchdown in the Bears’ 46-10 rout of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.

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Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.