Bourne High School Alumni
Bourne, Massachusetts (MA)
Alumni Stories
Robert Perryman remembers his welcome-to-the-NFL moment
Class of 1982
January 27, 2009
The Herald News
Robert Perryman remembers his welcome-to-the-NFL moment.
It wasn’t a 50-yard touchdown run, a key reception nor a Super Bowl victory. His biggest memory is a simple walk through a tunnel during the first year of his six-year professional football career.
“I remember it was a game against the Giants,” said the former New England Patriots running back, “and we were in the tunnel before the game. I knew their guys – Harry Carson’s number 53, Carl Banks 54, Pepper Johnson 52 – all that stuff, and then I saw all of them in the tunnel. I said to myself ‘Wow these guys are huge. I have to go block these guys?’ And I’m usually not fazed by anything.”
Perryman, a 1982 graduate of Bourne High School, was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 1987 draft and played four years in New England. He spent the final two years of his professional career with the Denver Broncos.
“I tore both my knees up out there,” he said.
These days, Perryman, a probation officer in Gloucester, keeps his finger on the football pulse by officiating high school games and working as an assistant coach with the Boston Militia of the Independent Women’s Football League.
“My brother-in-law (former Patriots cornerback Derrick Beasley) is the head coach and he asked me to join him last year,” said Perryman, who also has coached at the high school level and was the quarterbacks coach at Merrimack College. “To tell you the truth, once they put on the helmets, it’s football.”
Perryman came to Bourne from Brookline in his sophomore season and it took a little bit of adjusting on his part to get acclimated to life on Cape Cod.
“I came from Brookline and when I found out I was going to Bourne, I almost wanted to kill myself,” he said with a laugh. “In Brookline, if you wanted to do something, you just hop on the T, but there wasn’t much to do on the Cape.”
Perryman was immediately recognized by big-time colleges as a sophomore when scouts were heading to Bourne to watch some of his Canalmen teammates.
“We had some seniors who were being recruited, and I had a big game in my sophomore year and I started to get noticed,” Perryman said.
By his senior year, Perryman had turned the heads of virtually every college program before settling on the University of Michigan.
“I thought I was going to Penn State,” said Perryman, who had narrowed his choices to Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Miami. “Penn State and Syracuse seemed to be the most interested. Joe Paterno came to visit and that’s where I thought I’d end up. When I went to visit Michigan, I just fell in love with it.”
After a solid career with the Wolverines and six grueling seasons in the NFL, Perryman says he no longer yearns for those days in football pads.
“I really don’t miss it at all,” he said. “Once you get hurt and you come to the realization that you can’t do it anymore, you just let it go.
“There are some things I miss about it. I do miss the commitment to excellence, but overall I really don’t miss it.”
Through the New England Patriots Alumni Club, Perryman still manages to keep in touch with his former teammates, while making a difference in the community.
“We’ve helped raise a lot of money over the years,” Perryman said. “I see Steve Grogan, Mosi (Tatupu) and a few of the guys at functions we have. We have dinners, do golf tournaments, things like that.”
“I worked in marketing for Staples and I worked for the United Way,” said Perryman, “but I was doing so much traveling. I was home more when I was playing football.”
So what’s Perryman’s second biggest NFL memory?
“It’s a lot like my first,” he said. “Being in the huddle and looking around and seeing guys like Steve Grogan and Irving Fryar around me. There were some big-time players in there, but I always felt like I belonged.
Mike Thomas is the sports editor of The Herald News. He can be reached at mthomas@heraldnews.com.
----------------------------
34 Robert Perryman RB
Yrs/Pat: 3
Acquired: D-3, 1987 (79th)
School: Michigan
Major: Sports Management/Communications
Born: Raleigh NC
Personal
Robert Perryman was always a standout football player as a kid, but when he moved from Miami to Bourne, Mass., he went from a good player among good players to a great player comparatively. His play at Bourne High School on Cape Cod earned him the attention of college programs across the country, but his education was always priority No. 1 and that factored into his college decision.
“Both my parents were teachers,” said Perryman. “School always came first; playing football was a privilege.”
That being the case, Robert chose Michigan because their scholarship program guaranteed four years of college rather than four, one-year scholarships. There’s a big difference. If he wound up not playing football for whatever reason, he would still have his education. In addition, Robert was always thinking ahead towards the day when football would no longer be an option and Michigan had one of the best alumni networks in the country – an excellent resource when the time would come to find a job in the real world.
Perryman was drafted in the third round of the 1987 draft by New England and played for three years. During that time, he was always thinking about the end of his playing days and what he would do with his life and that sometimes made him a nervous wreck. His background in Marketing Communications at Michigan helped Robert land a job for the office supply chain, Staples, in its marketing and advertising department.
Football continues to be a huge part of Robert Perryman’s life. He held a position as the Regional Director for the NFL Junior Player Development Program before moving on to lead his own youth camps. He also continues his work on the field as an Assistant Coach for the IWFL’s Boston Militia, and spent two years as the Quaterback Coach at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA.
Robert and his wife Sonya have two children Krista and Robert Jr.
Career Highlights
From 1990 Patriots’ Media Guide
In 1989 played in all 16 games and started all but two (did not start those games because team used three wide receivers on the first play of the game)…second leading rusher on squad…rushed for 68 yards on 15 carries at Buffalo on 10-1…scored two rushing TDs vs. NO on 11-12 (his first two-TD game). In 1988 was second top rusher on team behind John Stephens while starting all 16 games…led team in rushing TDs with six (all in different games)…had three catches for 17 yards vs. Tampa Bay on 12-11 and two catches in four other games. In 1987 played in nine games, with one start…best games on 11-22 with 73 yards on 10 carries (long run of 48 yards), vs. Indy and on 11-13 at the Jets when rushed for 53 yards on 16 carries…as receiver, had three catches for 17 yards vs. Tampa Bay on 12-11 and five games with two catches each…was fourth top rusher on team…after Indy game of 11-22 had to miss next three games with sprained ankle…came back to have 42 yards on eight carries (long of 14) at Buffalo on 12-20 and 52 yards on 15 carries (long of 12) at Miami on 12-28 – both were starts – had three special teams tackles (all solos).
Games Played/Started:
1987 -9/1, 1988 -16/16, 1989 -16/14. Total: 41/31.
Other Stats: Fumbles: 1987 -1, 1988 -4, 1989 -2. Kickoff Returns: 1987 -three for 43 yards.
College
From 1990 Patriots’ Media Guide
Came on strong in senior year with 422 yards on 98 carries for a 4.3 average with six TDs, including a 47-yarder…was teamed with Gerald White to give Michigan one of best fullback tandems in Big Ten Conference…started last three games, including Rose Bowl game…as a senior in 1986, finished second on his team in rushing yards; was not tackled for a loss as senior…team went 11-2 his senior year (won Big 10 title)…in 22-15 loss ot Arizona State in Rose Bowl, had 14 yards on five carries and had a six-yard reception…as a junior in ’85, rushed for 239 yards on 65 carries (3.7 avg.) and caught seven passes for 76 yards…as a sophomore in 1984, started the first five games and Holiday Bowl…finished season with 387 yards on 76 carries for a solid 5.1 average…had five TDs, three in season opener vs. Miami (others vs. Indiana and Wisconsin)…in Holiday Bowl, ran for 110 yards on 13 carries and caught a 10 yard TD pass vs. BYU, which won the game and also won national title by virtue of that contest.
Graduated with a degree in Sports Management and Communications.
The Herald News
Robert Perryman remembers his welcome-to-the-NFL moment.
It wasn’t a 50-yard touchdown run, a key reception nor a Super Bowl victory. His biggest memory is a simple walk through a tunnel during the first year of his six-year professional football career.
“I remember it was a game against the Giants,” said the former New England Patriots running back, “and we were in the tunnel before the game. I knew their guys – Harry Carson’s number 53, Carl Banks 54, Pepper Johnson 52 – all that stuff, and then I saw all of them in the tunnel. I said to myself ‘Wow these guys are huge. I have to go block these guys?’ And I’m usually not fazed by anything.”
Perryman, a 1982 graduate of Bourne High School, was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 1987 draft and played four years in New England. He spent the final two years of his professional career with the Denver Broncos.
“I tore both my knees up out there,” he said.
These days, Perryman, a probation officer in Gloucester, keeps his finger on the football pulse by officiating high school games and working as an assistant coach with the Boston Militia of the Independent Women’s Football League.
“My brother-in-law (former Patriots cornerback Derrick Beasley) is the head coach and he asked me to join him last year,” said Perryman, who also has coached at the high school level and was the quarterbacks coach at Merrimack College. “To tell you the truth, once they put on the helmets, it’s football.”
Perryman came to Bourne from Brookline in his sophomore season and it took a little bit of adjusting on his part to get acclimated to life on Cape Cod.
“I came from Brookline and when I found out I was going to Bourne, I almost wanted to kill myself,” he said with a laugh. “In Brookline, if you wanted to do something, you just hop on the T, but there wasn’t much to do on the Cape.”
Perryman was immediately recognized by big-time colleges as a sophomore when scouts were heading to Bourne to watch some of his Canalmen teammates.
“We had some seniors who were being recruited, and I had a big game in my sophomore year and I started to get noticed,” Perryman said.
By his senior year, Perryman had turned the heads of virtually every college program before settling on the University of Michigan.
“I thought I was going to Penn State,” said Perryman, who had narrowed his choices to Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Miami. “Penn State and Syracuse seemed to be the most interested. Joe Paterno came to visit and that’s where I thought I’d end up. When I went to visit Michigan, I just fell in love with it.”
After a solid career with the Wolverines and six grueling seasons in the NFL, Perryman says he no longer yearns for those days in football pads.
“I really don’t miss it at all,” he said. “Once you get hurt and you come to the realization that you can’t do it anymore, you just let it go.
“There are some things I miss about it. I do miss the commitment to excellence, but overall I really don’t miss it.”
Through the New England Patriots Alumni Club, Perryman still manages to keep in touch with his former teammates, while making a difference in the community.
“We’ve helped raise a lot of money over the years,” Perryman said. “I see Steve Grogan, Mosi (Tatupu) and a few of the guys at functions we have. We have dinners, do golf tournaments, things like that.”
“I worked in marketing for Staples and I worked for the United Way,” said Perryman, “but I was doing so much traveling. I was home more when I was playing football.”
So what’s Perryman’s second biggest NFL memory?
“It’s a lot like my first,” he said. “Being in the huddle and looking around and seeing guys like Steve Grogan and Irving Fryar around me. There were some big-time players in there, but I always felt like I belonged.
Mike Thomas is the sports editor of The Herald News. He can be reached at mthomas@heraldnews.com.
----------------------------
34 Robert Perryman RB
Yrs/Pat: 3
Acquired: D-3, 1987 (79th)
School: Michigan
Major: Sports Management/Communications
Born: Raleigh NC
Personal
Robert Perryman was always a standout football player as a kid, but when he moved from Miami to Bourne, Mass., he went from a good player among good players to a great player comparatively. His play at Bourne High School on Cape Cod earned him the attention of college programs across the country, but his education was always priority No. 1 and that factored into his college decision.
“Both my parents were teachers,” said Perryman. “School always came first; playing football was a privilege.”
That being the case, Robert chose Michigan because their scholarship program guaranteed four years of college rather than four, one-year scholarships. There’s a big difference. If he wound up not playing football for whatever reason, he would still have his education. In addition, Robert was always thinking ahead towards the day when football would no longer be an option and Michigan had one of the best alumni networks in the country – an excellent resource when the time would come to find a job in the real world.
Perryman was drafted in the third round of the 1987 draft by New England and played for three years. During that time, he was always thinking about the end of his playing days and what he would do with his life and that sometimes made him a nervous wreck. His background in Marketing Communications at Michigan helped Robert land a job for the office supply chain, Staples, in its marketing and advertising department.
Football continues to be a huge part of Robert Perryman’s life. He held a position as the Regional Director for the NFL Junior Player Development Program before moving on to lead his own youth camps. He also continues his work on the field as an Assistant Coach for the IWFL’s Boston Militia, and spent two years as the Quaterback Coach at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA.
Robert and his wife Sonya have two children Krista and Robert Jr.
Career Highlights
From 1990 Patriots’ Media Guide
In 1989 played in all 16 games and started all but two (did not start those games because team used three wide receivers on the first play of the game)…second leading rusher on squad…rushed for 68 yards on 15 carries at Buffalo on 10-1…scored two rushing TDs vs. NO on 11-12 (his first two-TD game). In 1988 was second top rusher on team behind John Stephens while starting all 16 games…led team in rushing TDs with six (all in different games)…had three catches for 17 yards vs. Tampa Bay on 12-11 and two catches in four other games. In 1987 played in nine games, with one start…best games on 11-22 with 73 yards on 10 carries (long run of 48 yards), vs. Indy and on 11-13 at the Jets when rushed for 53 yards on 16 carries…as receiver, had three catches for 17 yards vs. Tampa Bay on 12-11 and five games with two catches each…was fourth top rusher on team…after Indy game of 11-22 had to miss next three games with sprained ankle…came back to have 42 yards on eight carries (long of 14) at Buffalo on 12-20 and 52 yards on 15 carries (long of 12) at Miami on 12-28 – both were starts – had three special teams tackles (all solos).
Games Played/Started:
1987 -9/1, 1988 -16/16, 1989 -16/14. Total: 41/31.
Other Stats: Fumbles: 1987 -1, 1988 -4, 1989 -2. Kickoff Returns: 1987 -three for 43 yards.
College
From 1990 Patriots’ Media Guide
Came on strong in senior year with 422 yards on 98 carries for a 4.3 average with six TDs, including a 47-yarder…was teamed with Gerald White to give Michigan one of best fullback tandems in Big Ten Conference…started last three games, including Rose Bowl game…as a senior in 1986, finished second on his team in rushing yards; was not tackled for a loss as senior…team went 11-2 his senior year (won Big 10 title)…in 22-15 loss ot Arizona State in Rose Bowl, had 14 yards on five carries and had a six-yard reception…as a junior in ’85, rushed for 239 yards on 65 carries (3.7 avg.) and caught seven passes for 76 yards…as a sophomore in 1984, started the first five games and Holiday Bowl…finished season with 387 yards on 76 carries for a solid 5.1 average…had five TDs, three in season opener vs. Miami (others vs. Indiana and Wisconsin)…in Holiday Bowl, ran for 110 yards on 13 carries and caught a 10 yard TD pass vs. BYU, which won the game and also won national title by virtue of that contest.
Graduated with a degree in Sports Management and Communications.
Recent Members
| Andrea Andrea Llanes | 1971 |
| David Jackson | 1966 |
| Gary Nelson | 1966 |
| Janine Ward | 1992 |
| Jeffrey Burton Jeffrey Burton | 1971 |
| Karen Karen Marie Brown | 1972 |
| Kenneth Locher | 1968 |
| Marsha L. Brott Marsha L. Brott | 1966 |
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