Story Photos
 Former R.A. Long quarterback Adam Perry set single-season records for passing yards, total yards, completions and completion percentage, and tied the record for touchdown passes this past season at Western Washington University. Photo courtesy of Bellingham Herald
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Ex-RAL football standout Perry eyes shot at pros
Saturday, December 20, 2008 6:36 PM PST
By Ben Zimmerman
Printable version
E-mail this articleAdam Perry has mastered the art of the encore. As the quarterback at R.A. Long from 2002 to ’05, Perry set every season and career passing record imaginable.
Then he went to Western Washington University, engineered a series of stunning comeback victories as a spot starter his sophomore year, took the reins of a remodeled, pro-style offense his junior season, and capped his collegiate career this fall by producing the most efficient, prolific season by a Vikings quarterback in school history.
In his final game, Perry threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns to earn Most Valuable Player honors in Western’s 25-10 victory over Colorado School of Mines in the Dixie Rotary Bowl in St. George, Utah.
The win capped a 6-5 season, one year after Perry was blitzed and chased through a 2-8 campaign. And with his MVP farewell, Perry set single-season WWU records for passing yards, total yards, completions and completion percentage, while tying the record for touchdown passes.
Act II will be hard to top, but Perry is excited to try.
“If I didn’t play any more football, I’d be a little sad,” said Perry, who will finish the final two quarters of his degree in business administration in 2009. “It has turned out well for me. I got a good degree from a strong academic institution, for free. I’m not in debt. I had a good time playing, met a lot of good people and had a lot of good times.
“But I played at a very high level this season, and I still feel that I can keep learning and getting better,” he added. “What really excites me about football is the mental side of it. That is what playing quarterback is all about. That’s what excites me and makes me want to keep playing.”
Perry hopes to continue playing professionally, and his most realistic opportunity will come in the eight-team Canadian Football League. CFL coaches watched him play at Western this season “and liked what they saw,” Perry said. After Christmas, and further consultation with his college coaches, Perry said he will have a clearer grasp of his CFL prospects.
“I’ve sent out a bunch of tapes,” he said. “I’m just working out and staying in shape, and hopefully I’ll get to work out for some teams.”
That could lead to Perry being added to a franchise’s negotiation list, a ledger of players that a team wishes to sign as a free agent.
“If that point comes,” said Perry, “I’ll hire an agent.”
Perry’s junior season at Western was his most challenging, physically and mentally. The new offense was installed in fall camp.
“It was a little hectic,” said Perry.
And Perry took his lumps — literally — during his junior year. Opposing linebackers weren’t interested in granting Perry any on-the-job training buffer.
“My body is (still) a little beat down,” he said. “This year, I held up better. I didn’t take nearly as many hits.”
Learning the new offense in his first year as a starter was a greater challenge for Perry than surviving the Saturday meat-grind. Between his junior and senior year, Perry spent “a lot of time learning the system, really learning defenses,” and “started to understand the game,” he said.
Working closely with Vikings offensive coordinator Kefense’ Hynson, Perry had a breakthrough in knowledge.
“This year it really clicked for me, but it wasn’t anything physical. I don’t have the strongest arm. I’m not the fastest guy in the world. But this offseason, I really honed in on the mental side of the game,” Perry said. “That’s why I don’t want to quit. I feel like I’m playing at the highest level of my life, and it’s because I’m really starting to understand the game.”
Perry hasn’t decided yet what he will do when his football career has run its course. He acknowledges that his passion for the intellectual, strategic aspects of quarterbacking would segue neatly into an offensive coordinator’s headset, but he doesn’t plan on coaching any time soon. Perry also declined an offer to return to Western next fall as a graduate assistant.
“I’m not necessarily interested in coaching right away,” he said. “Maybe in a little bit. I definitely would want to coach quarterbacks.”
But before that, Perry hopes to muster a final on-field encore.
“Any chance I get,” he said, “I’d like to continue playing football.”
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