After East-West Shrine Bowl MVP, Brown QB And Andover Native EJ Perry Sets Sights On NFL Combine
BOSTON (CBS) -- EJ Perry had himself a game at the East-West Shrine Bowl last week, earning Offensive MVP honors. Now, the former Brown quarterback and Andover native is ready to keep the good times rolling at the NFL Draft Combine in March.
Perry nearly brought the East All-Stars back from a 19-0 deficit, throwing for 214 yards and three touchdowns in the second half last Thursday. His team fell short with the West winning, 25-24, but he made a pretty big statement to the NFL scouts in attendance. The experience allowed him to learn from NFL coaches, which will only help him improve his chances at going from the Ivy League to the pros.
"It was a tremendous experience to learn from them every day, on and off the field, asking different scouts what they see in my game and how I can get better," Perry told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche. "Now I'm going to bring all of that information and carry it forward with me. It's another two months before I'm, hopefully, on a team so that's two months to get better."
Winning MVP was an honor, but Perry was quick to give credit to his playmakers on the East team. He'll always look back at the experience, from the training to practice to meeting with children at the Shriners Hospital. Most importantly, he's ready to take everything that he learned and apply it moving forward.
"Football is always fun, whether it's the game, practice or learning in a meeting. You're doing something challenging," he said.
Now the challenge is preparing to be the best quarterback he can be at the Combine. Perry said that he'll be working hard to improve his speed over the next month, and he's also preparing for all the interviews that he'll be doing with individual teams. For that, he has called upon his former Brown and Boston College teammates, as well as alumni who have already made their way to the NFL.
"I try to take and absorb all their advice. It's all reflective around the player they were when they graduated, and they're much different players now than when they were rookies or in their second year," he explained. "They all talked about and focused on that development."
It certainly helps that Perry comes from a football family. He was a four-year starter for his father, EJ Perry III, at Andover High School, and then played for his uncle, head coach James Perry, at Brown.
"When you play for your dad, nothing is difficult after that," the younger EJ joked. "I look back at playing for him very fondly, an experience I loved. He created who I am, but he was tough. No getting around that. I was coached for 24 hours a day."
Those in his family that aren't involved in football are teachers, and they've all instilled a passion for learning in Perry. Being a sponge in practice and a drive to continually get better is part of his DNA, and he hopes it all translates to a future in the NFL. Perry is determined to keep improving in the weeks leading up to the Combine.
"Now it's just getting better – bigger, faster and stronger. Hopefully I'll put out a good performance and compete hard when I get my chance," he said.
