Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Fred Perry was a consensus NCAA Division II first team All-American at Southern Arkansas in 1997, leading the Muleriders to their only Gulf South Conference football championship, and to the school’s first NCAA playoff berth.  He became the first Mulerider to be named first team All-America since the school’s affiliation with the NCAA in 1995.
 
Perry was a speedy 6-3, 215-pound linebacker from Fort Smith (Northside) via Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College, playing his final two seasons at SAU in 1996 and 1997.
 
He was named first team on four different All-America teams, an All-South Region selection, first team all-conference and the GSC’s defensive player of the year his senior season, after racking up 87 tackles with 19 for loss, including three sacks, forced four fumbles and recovered one, had two pass breakups, and returned 42 punts for 312 yards.
 
Perry was an honorable mention All-America selection and first team All-GSC pick in 1996, recording 105 tackles, 71 solo, with 11 for loss, including three sacks, forced three fumbles, and broke up five passes and had one interception, while returning 28 punts for 400 yards and one touchdown.
 
His SAU career numbers included 192 tackles, 103 solo, with 30 for 105 yards in loss, including six sacks for minus 45 yards.
 
Unusual as a linebacker, he excelled as a return specialist for punts, setting five school records and still holding three with 70 punt returns for 712 yards in a career, and 42 returns in a season.
 
After signing a free agent contract with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, Perry went on to a 10-year professional career as a defensive end in the Canadian Football League.  He was with the Toronto Argonauts in 1999-2000 and the Edmonton Eskimos in 2001, before going back to the NFL and a contract with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002.  He returned to Canada the next year with the Ottawa Renegades, was with the Calgary Stampeders in 2004, and spent the next three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, before returning to Edmonton in 2008, and then finishing his career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2009.
 
Perry’s three years in Saskatchewan were a highlight of his career, with the Roughriders winning the Grey Cup championship in 2006 and Perry posting 47 tackles with 14 sacks for 115 yards in losses, 10 pass breakups and one interception.  In 2007 he recorded 70 tackles with eight sacks, seven pass breakups and three fumble recoveries.  He was a CFL All-Star and West All-Star both those seasons.
 
Perry’s career numbers in the CFL included 361 tackles, 61 sacks, eight fumble recoveries and 29 pass breakups.