Brien Overly
The Pierce football team has been the butt of many a joke in semesters past, that’s no secret. Well, the times they are a-changing.
Helping to usher in these changes is their new receiver, Ramon Perry. This is Perry’s first semester at Pierce, but he’s definitely nothing new to football, having played for upwards of five years.
“I played Pop Warner for a few years, then in high school for three years,” said Perry of his football history.
Since Perry has joined the team this semester, they achieved their first win – after a lengthy dry spell.
Regarding this phenomenon, he said, “I think a lot of players that just came are helping. As you can see, last year the team wasn’t too good, but everything’s changed. Players, coaches, everything.”
Perry was confident that the win was anything but a one-time thing.
“We’re going to continue the winning. The team knows how it feels to win again. We’re going to get back on track,” he said.
His prediction was right, since the team has won two more games since the interview.
Perry is doing his part to rectify past problems with the team.
“I [like to] motivate the team. I inspire them a lot. By seeing me handle my job, it motivates them,” he said.
But what motivates Perry himself?
“My grandma,” he said. “She tells me, ‘Keep playing, stay focused, follow your goals of getting to a university.’ She’s my guardian.”
Even with that kind of support, Perry has had his share of obstacles to overcome. He was actually ineligible to play for a time because of his grades.
“I just needed to regroup, reorganize. My schoolwork was off, I needed to meet more requirements, I had to take care of that.”
But even in the face of disappointment, he pushed on.
“When they told me I couldn’t play, it hurt,” he said. “But it made me want to do what I had to do.”
Putting in the same time and effort off the field as on, he has taken a more serious approach to his academics and is finding time to balance them with football.
“This semester, I’m planning to pass every class, going to summer school, getting my A.A. Then I’m leaving,” he said as evidence of his newfound motivation.
But that shouldn’t be a surprise if you know Perry, who says of himself, “Even though I’m small, I still compete with every opponent, and with everything I do. I never give up.”
It’s that ability to thrive on competition and Perry’s constant work toward self-improvement that makes observers certain that his goals will play out.