Early Years
Perry was born in Aiken, South Carolina. He has stated in an interview that "Even when I was little, I was big"; by the time he was 11 years old, he weighed 200 pounds.
Frequently ridiculed for his weight while growing up, Perry took advantage of his athleticism to silence his critics. He attended Aiken High School and played as a 295-pound nose guard on the school's football team. During an exercise in which his coach instructed all of his fastest players to line up for a 100-yard dash, Perry joined the group of running backs, wide receivers and defensive backs and eventually was timed as the 6th fastest runner on the entire team. He could also execute 360-degree dunks on regulation basketball hoops and perform complicated dives into the swimming pool.
Read more about this topic: William Perry (American Football)
Famous quotes related to early years:
“Even today . . . experts, usually male, tell women how to be mothers and warn them that they should not have children if they have any intention of leaving their side in their early years. . . . Children don’t need parents’ full-time attendance or attention at any stage of their development. Many people will help take care of their needs, depending on who their parents are and how they chose to fulfill their roles.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)