Every day of the 2015 Chicago Bears season, Chicago Sun-Times Sports will revisit its coverage 30 years ago during the 1985 Bears’ run to a Super Bowl title.
—
Perry’s shape irks Ditka
Herb Gould
Originally published Aug. 7, 1985
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Signing William “Refrigerator” Perry to a contract that includes incentive clauses for being in shape is one thing.
Rounding the ample first-round draft choice into that shape, the Bears are learning, is proving to be another matter.
Perry, a 330-plus-pound defensive tackle, cramped up due to dehydration and missed afternoon practice yesterday on his second day of training camp.
Coach Mike Ditka was not pleased. “He’s out of shape. That’s what two weeks of putzing around has done. When a guy’s not as good a football player as he can be, he can blame himself and his agent,” Ditka said, referring to the time Perry missed holding out in a contract dispute.
Perry was signed Monday to a four-year, $1.356 million contract, of which 27 percent is conditional on him being in shape.
“I’m fine now,” Perry said last night after another spartan meal – small portions of catfish, corn on the cob, salad, wild rice, fruit and two cans of diet cola. Asked if he was hungry, Perry said, “I can live on it.”
Added Perry, “Different coaches work you different. They want to get everything out of me.”
They got it out of Perry, who dropped 13 pounds during what Ditka termed “a great practice this morning.” Drinking plenty of liquids, which are unrestricted in his closely monitored diet, Perry regained eight pounds in the afternoon and was scheduled to resume working out today.
“He worked hard out there. But a lot of other guys that worked hard lost 13 pounds today and were still practicing,” Ditka said. “That tells you how far he’s got to go.
“He’s not at Clemson anymore. We’re not going to let him watch practice. I’m not saying their kind of football isn’t good, but we know what kind of shape we’ve got to get him into.”
When asked if Perry’s insistence that he is in shape might be part of the problem, Ditka winced.
“Hmmph. That might be part of it,” the coach said. “If he thinks he’s in shape, what does he think Steve McMichael who also reported Monday and had no difficulty practicing hard both days is in? What kind of shape does he think Tyrone Keys, who has been practicing banged up, is in? If you think you’re in shape, you’ve got to compare yourself to everybody who’s five yards ahead of you every time.”
Asked if he had any regrets about making Perry his first-round pick, Ditka said, “Not at all. He’s still going to be a good football player, but he’s going to be a good football player on our terms, not his.”
Perry, who has impressed offensive linemen and coaches alike in three practices with his strength and agility, remained pleasant and unruffled by the Bears’ impatience.
“They worked us pretty hard,” said Perry, adding that this was “the first time ever, since high school, that I lost too much fluid.” The South Carolina native also insisted that the humid day with temperatures in the high 80s wasn’t the problem. “This heat don’t bother me,” he said.
Ditka said he still planned to use Perry extensively in the preseason opener in St. Louis Friday night. “I don’t see any reason why not,” Ditka said. “I hope he’ll be gasping for air. I hope it’s 95 degrees and one of those 95 percent humidity days. We all need it. We’re not in as good shape as we could be.”
