EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth in an 8-part series highlighting the elite football players in the area who encompass leadership, athleticism and game-changing ability for their teams in 2017. The players are taken from the rosters of high school teams in The Star-Herald coverage area and are nominated by their coaches. Sports editor Stan Beall makes the selections. The players will be revealed one at a time over an 8-week period and are in no particular order. Previously selected were Kosciusko’s Kadarius Banks, Ethel’s Ty’Kevin Wade, Kosciusko’s Jaquan Williams and McAdams’ Marquell Tinnie.
“He’s just a great kid and the kind of kid that you love to see exceed just because of his work ethic alone,” stated French Camp head football coach Nathan Wright when describing this week’s Elite 8 selection Colin Perry. Perry, a 5-9, 170-pound senior wide receiver/defensive back, was honored to be chosen when he said, “It is an honor to be chosen and it just goes to prove that hard work pays off. Last year I got a lot more playing time and experience and since then I have gotten stronger in the weight room and gained some weight. Hopefully, I get some more touches this year to help my team get to the playoffs. Like coach (Wright) says, if you can make it to the playoffs, you’ve got a chance.”
According to Wright, the kids that have always stood out to him have been the ones that give the best effort and Perry does. “He just gives an A-1 effort all of the time,” said Wright. “He will give you everything he’s got and he works hard in the weight room. He’s very personable and he’s one of those kids you want to build on. He is the kind of kid that you trust and that is a major issue being able to trust somebody. When you have a kid you can trust, you can go a long way and do a lot of things together. I really trust Colin and he’s proven himself over the years, whether it’s in the classroom, in the community, at the school or in sports. He’s just going to conduct himself well and he is always respectable.”
When Perry is not playing football he enjoys playing baseball for the Panthers, hunting and fishing and playing guitar. “My main goals really from last year to this year is to gain speed and to gain more weight,” added Perry. “I weighed 155 pounds when the season started last year and I now weight 170. You can’t walk onto a football field and be scared or anything, you’ve got to have a mentality about you that you are going to be the baddest out there. I’m really looking forward to this season and winning more games than we did last year.”
Wright feels that Perry is the type of kid that a team can build around. “I told him before that I wished he was bigger like his daddy instead of his mama,’ laughed Wright. “He’s a great kid and he’s had a really good summer and that’s part of the reason he’s here instead of another. He has worked really hard this summer and put on some size. We will see how it all shakes out.”
Pride and hard work are two things that motivate Perry more than any other. “We have really been putting the work in the weight room or wherever this summer,” said Perry. “We have been hitting it hard since we got a new weight coach around Christmas. I just can’t wait for the season to start and see where it goes.”
After graduating a lot of players in 2016, Perry was thrust into action for the Panthers. “He wasn’t quite ready last year when all of a sudden a big load fell on him,” added Wright. “Later in the year he responded well and since that moment he’s been a better player and a great leader. I’m excited about him and looking forward to seeing how he will do his senior year.”
No matter what the score is or what the situation may be, Perry says that he will be giving it his all, all of the time. “I just want to be breathing hard at the end with nothing else left,” concluded Perry. The Panthers open their season on August 18 when they host the Winona Christian Stars.
