Twenty-five years ago, William “The Refrigerator” Perry was scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl for the Chicago Bears.
Now, 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.’'
When Perry was 23 he was one of the most popular members of the great 1985 Bears. Now he’s 48, and his life is a sad story.