The thing that I remember most about The Fridge is that when he was in shape he was a really good defensive tackle. Sometimes that got lost in “The Fridge” persona, but at one time he was a very good player.
Unfortunately I think what end up making him famous was also his downfall.
He was much more caught up in the fame, than dedicating himself to be a better player. I would like to say that I am surprised by this story, but I am not.
Here are the details:
According to an account from Tom Friend of ESPN.com, his life is a mess: Perry weighs 400 pounds and has health problems, memory problems and a drinking problem.
“Yeah, I admit to myself, yeah, I’m an alcoholic,” Perry says. “It just keeps going, keeps going, keeps going and keeps going.”
In 1988, when he was still a star with the Bears, Perry spent 28 days in treatment and began going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. But he hasn’t stopped drinking, and he acknowledges that he disregards his doctors’ advice for dealing with his ailments, which range from Guillain-Barre Syndrome to diabetes to high blood pressure to memory loss.
“Am I supposed to be taking my medicine? Yes, yes,” Perry said. “I take it sometimes, sometimes I don’t. I mean, I’m not going to lie to you.”
I like to call this Mike Tyson Syndrome. When you name is so recognizable that you are always “famous”, but your real life when you are alone is in shambles.
Perry is not that old, he is only 48, hopefully he gets the help he needs so he can live productive rest of his life.