foreverfan

Wow, the stories of NFL greats fallen on hard times never cease to amaze me. This one is especially poignant.



CBS NEWS
April 5, 2011
Pa. boy returns Super Bowl ring to "The Fridge"
After rough times force ailing William Perry to sell ring, 10-year-old uses college fund to buy it back for ex-Bears star

(CBS News) PITTSBURGH -- William "The Refrigerator" Perry, from the Chicago Bears in 1980s, has been reunited with his Super Bowl XX ring, thanks to a thoughtful 10-year-old, reports CBS station KDKA in Pittsburgh.

Young Cliff Forrest bought the ring at Mickey Mantle's restaurant.

"I saw that in New York and I really wanted the ring, and I took the money out of my savings account," he said.

He took $8,500 out of his college fund, which his father says he would not have approved.

"I would not have permitted the purchase myself, but his mother is a little more soft-hearted," said Cliff Forrest Sr.

The boy had heard about the '85 Bears team and admires Perry, and he clearly has a soft-heart, too, because he had an idea as soon as he heard about how Perry had lost the ring.

"I saw that he had a disease and that he had to sell it because of rough times, so I asked my dad if I could give the ring back to Mr. Perry."

- Continued http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...tml?tag=exclsv






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...rican_football)

Perry was born in Aiken, South Carolina. After a successful career at Aiken High School (South Carolina), Perry played college football at Clemson University. In 1985, he was selected in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Nicknamed "The Refrigerator" for his gargantuan, square-like frame, Perry was 6 ft 2 in and weighed 382 lb (173.3 kg) at his peak weight.[citation needed] He quickly became a favorite of the Chicago Bears fans.
Perry, who wore number 72 as a Chicago Bear, became famous for his prowess as a defensive lineman. In addition, Perry was used as a fullback when his team was near the opponents' goal line or 4th and short situations, either as a ball carrier or a lead blocker for running back Walter Payton. During his rookie season, Perry rushed for 2 touchdowns and caught a pass for one. Perry was once used in a surprise play during a Pro Bowl game as an offensive lineman.
Perry even had the opportunity to run the ball during Super Bowl XX, as a nod to his popularity and contributions to the team's success. The first time he got the ball, he was tackled for a one-yard loss while attempting to throw his first NFL pass on a halfback option play. The second time he got the ball, he scored a touchdown.
Perry went on to play for ten years in the NFL. His Super Bowl ring size is the largest of any professional football player in the history of the event. His ring size is 25, while the ring size for the average adult male is between 10 and 12.[1]
Perry retired after the 1994 season. In his 10 years as a pro, he played in 138 games, recording 29.5 sacks and 5 fumble recoveries, which he returned for 71 yards. In his offensive career he ran 5 yards for 2 Tds. Perry later attempted a comeback, playing the 1996 season with the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football (later NFL Europa).

2019 Death of a Parrot.

SmashMouth

Somebody famous with lots of money please recompense this kid.

foreverfan

The Fridge needs to will him the ring when he dies.