Ohio State's national championship squad boasted a laundry list of stars, many of whom became media darlings as the Buckeyes shocked the world with convincing wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon to win the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Cardale Jones became an overnight sensation thanks to incredible poise, a cannon arm, freakish size and an engaging personality. His roommate Tyvis Powell grabbed headlines with interceptions and a sense of humor that took social media by storm. Joey Bosa had sacks and a shrug. Michael Bennett was fast with a quip. Ezekiel Elliott ran around and through the competition and topped it off with the salmon. Braxton Miller didn't even play yet had every bit the Q rating of the team's most popular active players.
Meanwhile, local product Joshua Perry received very little ink for his on field production and leadership. To be fair, he did have a few moments in the sun when media outlets focused on the fact Perry is a five-star humanitarian destined for even greater heights once he hangs up his cleats.
Between the lines, Perry led the national champions with 124 stops, one year after ranking fourth on the team as a sophomore with 64 tackles. He had 32 more than Ohio State's second-leading tackler in 2014, Vonn Bell. In fact, Perry's 124 tackles served as the fourth-most by a Buckeye defender in a single-season since 1995; only Ryan Shazier (143 in 2013), James Laurinaitis (130 in 2008) and A.J. Hawk (141 in 2004) boast higher totals.
While those three have secure spots as greats in school history, Perry receives far less recognition for his production. It's fair to say he's not in the same league as these NFL talents (Perry takes a bad angle or gets lost in coverage from time to time), but that doesn't undermine what the class act has accomplished.
If Perry posts another 124 tackles as a senior this fall, he'll find himself 16th in school history in the category. He needs just 76 to be a top 20 tackler all-time; not bad numbers for a kid who wasn't highly recruited by the elite football factories despite being a Rivals Top 150 talent.
As noted, there were times last year when he helped trigger some big gainers against the Buckeyes – the Indiana game comes to mind – but he was a steady player who registered 11 stops against Virginia Tech, a career-high 18 in the double-overtime win in Happy Valley and 14 in that same Indiana game in which Tevin Coleman got loose for 90-yard and 52-yard touchdown gallops.
This fall, Perry should be a virtual lock as a team captain and with fellow linebackers Raekwon McMillan and Darron Lee by his side, the trio should form one of the truly elite linebacking corps in the nation.
| YEAR | GAMES | TACKLES (RANK) | SOLO | ASSIST | TFL | SACK | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 (JR.) | 15 | 124 (1) | 73 | 51 | 8.5 | 3.0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2013 (SO.) | 14 | 64 (4) | 38 | 26 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2012 (FR.) | 10 | 5 (25) | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
While Perry's on-field success is nothing to sneeze at, it's his off-the-field exploits that will make him an all-time Buckeye great. His various efforts to raise awareness through the Autism Speaks Foundation come with a personal connection, as his brother, current Ohio State sophomore Jahred Perry, was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome as a nine-year-old. This is especially meaningful in an era of big time college athletics where too often, at too many schools, the baseline for success beyond the playing field is simply not embarrassing the university.
Perry also received some well-deserved ink for his support of Joshua Chambers, a four-year-old who was stricken with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a nasty form of cancer that had Chambers down but certainly not out. Not only did Perry form a strong bond with the youngster, he brought awareness to Joshua's Be Brave initiative, raising money to battle his illness.
Perry's efforts certainly weren't lost on his head coach:
"He's a guy that was committed to Ohio State before we got there, a guy that was not very highly recruited, you could tell right away, a really talented guy," Meyer said Sunday morning. "He was still growing into who he was as a person. He comes from one of the best families I've ever been around, and he just started to grind and work. I think through the Internet I saw a couple pictures of what he looked like, and (it's quite a difference from) what he looks like now. He's got multiple job offers waiting for him for when he's done playing college football. One of those job offers will be in the NFL. That's how much he's improved.
"He's what college football is all about. … he has an incredible ability to make someone's day a little brighter, and he takes that very serious. A great young man."
Athletic director Gene Smith also raves about Perry, telling Cleveland.com's Tom Reed earlier this year:
"What time is it? 4:14," Smith said. "I'd hire him at 4:15. That guy is a stud."
The high praise from high places is impressive. Not only do the likes of Meyer and Smith tout Perry's character, his teammates also see something special; Tyvis Powell remarked that Perry is destined for the title of CEO once his playing days are finished.
At the end of the day, kids go to college to prepare for the future. Even if Perry doesn't stick in the NFL, he'll have a first class education to compliment a first class upbringing, which will no doubt present him limitless opportunities to make a positive impact in the community while making his family, teammates, coaches and school beam with pride.
