There’s another football-chucking Perry entering “free agency.”
E.J. Perry IV has gotten a few NFL sniffs, but as of today he’s still a free agent looking for a quarterback gig.
Well, we can add his cousin, Merrimack College senior John Perry, to the mix. On Tuesday, he entered the NCAA transfer portal, which means he’s available to be wined and dined to help quarterback another college football program.
E.J. is a household name in these parts. Cousin John, whose dad starred at Andover High and the University of New Hampshire, not so much. While John grew up in his early years in North Andover — where his mom, Jennifer (Slosek) Perry was born and bred — his athletic resume he built in Houston, Texas, where his dad was an assistant coach with the NFL’s Texans.
Perry was a three-sport athlete at highly-regarded Clements High, and he was a two-year starter at quarterback as well as captain.
He signed on to come home, of sorts, and hopefully play at Merrimack College, where his dad also coached and his dad’s good friend, fellow UNH grad and former offensive coordinator, Dan Curran, was overseeing the program.
But four football seasons later, John has decided to move and added his name on the portal.
Oftentimes there is animus when players want to leave a program. That is not the case here. Not on John’s part or Merrimack’s.
With two years of eligibility — he reshirted as a freshman and got another year due to COVID — John wants to play, probably at a lower level, Div. 2 or Div. 3.
“I’m just not done as a player yet,” said Perry. “I have the fire in me to play, leading my own team. Merrimack has been a special place for me. It will always be special. I’ve learned so much about the game. For me at this point it isn’t about leaving Merrimack, it’s about playing.”
Football and the Perry family have been strongly linked a good several decades now. and John said, for him, everything involved in the quarterback position is part of his DNA.
“I am a very competitive person and realize it’s a highly competitive position with so many talented guys wanting to play quarterback,” said John. “I love the leadership part. I love that everybody looks to the quarterback to make that big play, the big touchdown pass. I’ve always been drawn to the position. and I trust my ability and training up to this point.”
Curran signed on with John’s decision as soon as he heard it.
“John is going to be a success wherever he ends up,” said Curran. “He’s got a good football IQ — he is a Perry after all! He’s a relentless worker; a great communicator; and always brings positive energy every single day. It’s contagious to his teammates and the coaching staff. He has to find a place where he can compete to get on the field. I expect it will happen.”
One of the reasons John wanted to try the Div. 1 level was to be around the coaching. Like his dad and other family members, he wants to coach football when he is done playing.
And he has taken a lot of mental notes on how Curran runs a program.
“Coach Curran has created a ‘team’ environment,” said John. “He gets to know his players as people, not just players. I’ve learned so much about the game at Merrimack. For me at this point it isn’t about leaving Merrimack, it’s about playing.”
Another reason John chose Merrimack was returning home where a few dozen family members still reside, especially his grandparents, including Barbara Perry in Andover and Len and Karen Slosek in North Andover.
He always had family at games. And, even better, he got a lot of free, home-cooked meals.
“My grandfather (Len) is great on the grill, especially steak tips,” said Perry. “And my grandmother’s (Karen) mashed potatoes and her pasta were the best. I’ve had a lot of great meals here.”
John hopes the process moves along quickly as he will be graduating from Merrimack a semester early and will start attending graduate school to earn his MBA.
He’s open to Div. 2 or Div. 3 if there is an opportunity to play next fall.
“I hope to hear from schools soon,” said John. “My time at Merrimack were incredible years. I’m just ready to play.”
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.