Joe Perry (American football)
Perry c. 1954
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| No. 74, 34 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | January 22, 1927 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Stephens, Arkansas | ||||||||
| Date of death: | April 25, 2011 (aged 84) | ||||||||
| Place of death: | Chandler, Arizona | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Los Angeles (CA) Jordan | ||||||||
| College: | Compton Junior College | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1948 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career professional statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
| Rushing yards: | 9,723 |
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| Rushing average: | 5.0 |
| Rushing touchdowns: | 71 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
| Joe Perry | |
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| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 U.S. Navy
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| Battles/wars | World War II |
Fletcher Joseph "Joe" Perry (January 22, 1927 – April 25, 2011) was a professional American football fullback for the San Francisco 49ers from 1948 to 1950 (while the 49ers were a member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC)), then 1950 to 1960 when the 49ers were absorbed into the National Football League (NFL), the Baltimore Colts from 1961 to 1962, and back to the 49ers in 1963 for his final year in football. He was exceptionally fast, a trait uncommon for a fullback and one which earned him the nickname "The Jet". The first African-American to be named the NFL Most Valuable Player, he became one of American football's first black stars.
After playing a season of football for Compton Junior College, Perry joined the U.S. Navy. While playing football in the military, he was spotted by the 49ers, who signed him into the AAFC. He spent the next thirteen seasons playing for San Francisco, where he was featured in the "Million Dollar Backfield", made three straight Pro Bowl appearances, and in 1954 was named the NFL MVP by United Press International (UPI). He was the first player in the NFL to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons, doing so in 1953 and 1954. Perry retired in 1963 as the league's all-time leader in rushing yards, and in 1969 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His jersey number 34 was retired by the 49ers in 1971.
Fletcher Joseph Perry was born in Stephens, Arkansas, and grew up in Los Angeles, California, after his family moved there during the Great Depression. He was a four-sport star at David Starr Jordan High School in Los Angeles. Perry grew up admiring several African-American athletes at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), including Jackie Robinson, who played football and baseball and ran track for the university. After being rejected by UCLA, Perry played football at Compton Junior College in 1944, and scored 22 touchdowns that season. He was then recruited by UCLA, but declined, and enlisted in the Navy during World War II. He played football in the military for Naval Air Station Alameda. In an East vs. West college all-star game in January 1948, Perry scored on a four-yard run in the first quarter for the West, which also featured Bobby Layne of Texas and Jake Leicht of Oregon.
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