William “Refrigerator” Perry played his high school ball in Aiken, SC and was a pivotal member of Clemson’s 1981 National Championship team, coached by fellow South Carolina Football Hall of Fame Inductee Danny Ford.  He was a stalwart defensive tackle that anchored the middle of the Clemson defense, earning first team All-American honors in 1983. 

He turned that success into being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft, and was part of the vaunted 1985 Bear’s defense that won Super Bowl XX.  It was not his defense in 1985 that made him popular though, it was the two touchdowns he ran for (one in the Super Bowl) and the one he caught on offense along with his nickname that made him a fan favorite. He played a total of 10 years in the NFL playing in 138 games with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.  He enjoyed popularity on the field as well as commercially off of it as “The Fridge.”

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